| Title | Ian Thain (the 9th of July, 1937 – the 4th of April, 2021) |
|---|---|
| Authors | S.J. Zarrouk, R. Cataldi, L. Rybach, B. Carey, R. DiPippo, C. Bromley and K. Luketina |
| Year | 2021 |
| Conference | New Zealand Geothermal Workshop |
| Keywords | Ian Thain. NZGA, IGA |
| Abstract | Ian Alexander Thain was born in Scotland on the 9th of July 1937. His mother, Alexandrina, and his father Alexander were Psychiatric nurses at Montrose Hillside Psychiatric Hospital. Ian’s schooling was at Hillside Primary and then Montrose Academy. Ian was a self-made man. He got an apprenticeship as a fitter and turner with Coventry Gauge and Tool Company. Ian attended night school to get a mechanical engineering qualification. He cycled from Hillside to Dubton Station, left his bike there and took the train to Dundee where he studied. As a young man, Ian enjoyed cycling, scuba diving and hill walking. He loved to travel and went on a bike trip across the channel to Holland and Belgium. After graduating as a mechanical engineer in 1961, Ian worked at Chapelcross, the second nuclear power station in the UK. He moved to New Zealand in 1975 to work as a senior engineer for the New Zealand Electricity Department (NZED) on a planned nuclear power station. Ian soon realised that Nuclear power would not work for New Zealand’s seismically active setting. This was when he switched focus to thermal and geothermal power stations from 1977 to 1987. Ian became the manager of Wairakei and Ohaaki geothermal power stations for Electricity New Zealand (ECNZ) from 1987 to 1992, and from 1992 to 1996, Ian was the Geothermal Group, Technical Manager. He then started his own consultancy company, Geothermal & Energy Technical Services Ltd, and worked on several overseas projects, including work aided by the New Zealand Government. Ian was deeply involved in several aspects of geothermal power generation (Thain and DiPippo, 2015; Thain and Dunstall, 2001; Thain and Dunstall, 2000a Thain and Dunstall, 2000b; Thain and Freeston, 1995; Harper et al., 1995; Thain and White, 1993; Harper and Thain, 1992; Thain, 1990; Thain and Lyth, 1987; Thain, 1985; Thain and Stacey, 1984; Stacey and Thain, 1983; Thain et al., 1981; Thain, 1980). He was also a source of knowledge and a strong advocate of the direct use of geothermal energy (Thain et al., 2006). Some of his work includes the geothermal heating system at the Taupo Hospital (Febrianto et al., 2016) and the under-street heating in Rotorua (Thain and McGrath, 2014). Ian was a New Zealand Registered Professional Engineer, a Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, UK, and a Member of the UK IMechE Renewable Power Committee. Ian was an inaugural board member and the First President of the New Zealand Geothermal Association (NZGA) from 1992 to 1998. In 1995, he was part of the NZGA team that enabled the setting up of the IGA secretariat within GNS, New Zealand. He was also a Member Board of Studies of the Geothermal Institute, University of Auckland. Ian was involved since 1985 when the preparations to establish the International Geothermal Association (IGA) started. In May 1989, Ian attended the founding meetings to organise the IGA structure (Board of Directors and Committees). Ian was a member of the IGA Board of Directors from 1993 to 1996, serving as Vice President in 1998 – 2001. For several years in the mid-1990s, he was on the IGA Information Committee, which produced the IGA News. He was also a member of the organising committee of WGC 2020 in Japan. Ian became a life member of NZGA in November 2005 during the New Zealand Geothermal Workshop in Rotorua. Her Majesty the Queen, the Governor-General and Prime Minister Jacinda Adern sent Ian and his wife Kathleen congratulations on their 60th Wedding anniversary on the 11th of June 2020. All the people that knew Ian agree that he was a very energetic communicator and a strong advocate of the use of geothermal energy. He has been described by his colleagues as a pioneer, a lovely gentleman, a lovely chap, a giant of the industry, one of the real great geothermal engineers, a superb, jolly, convivial fellow, and a true friend. Ian Thain passed away on Easter Sunday, the 4th of April 2021, after a short illness. He was surrounded by his family at Hawke`s Bay Hospital, New Zealand: Dearly beloved husband of Kathleen; Much loved father and father-in-law of Alison, Anne and Tim, and Alan and Jan; Adored grandfather of Archie, Julia, Meg, and Lucia. Ian will be dearly missed by his family, New Zealand, and the international geothermal community will remember him fondly. His contribution to the geothermal industry has been invaluable. He leaves a strong legacy within the geothermal community. |