NZ | Energy Projects

[jarbury]

Vehicle emissions per capita would have a large role to play I think.

[kegan]

From Radio NZ News:

10 year ban proposed on new fossil-fuelled power stations

The Government intends putting a 10-year ban on the building of new fossil-fuelled thermal power stations, unless they're required to ensure the security of New Zealand's electricity supply.

The restriction on fossil-fuelled thermal generation is included in a new bill tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.

Radio New Zealand's political editor says the Government has already instructed State-owned generators that all new baseload generation should be renewable.

To ensure a level playing field, it's put the restriction into the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill so that private generators must also use renewable energy sources, rather than burning fossil fuels to generate electricity.

Exemptions to the rule will be possible in some circumstances - particularly if there's a threat to the country's security of supply.

As well, the bill establishes an emissions trading scheme which the Government says provides incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

[SYDNEY]

^ Mmmmmm - interesting, thanks Kegan .

[jarbury]

There was an interesting opinion article from the head of PEPANZ (Petroleum Exploration ...etc.) spitting tacks about this plan. Protecting their interests of course.

[Kane007]

Interesting and maybe pointless piece of information I came across today - New Zealand Aluminium Smelters (NZAS) Tiwai Point Aluminium smelter consumes 13% of New Zealand's electricity capacity! Interesting agh! (2006 figure)

[jarbury]

And it's owned by overseas companies (so the profits disappear offshore). And the power is at a huge discount.

All this for a couple of hundred jobs....

[ZEALand]

Kane or Jarbury is this smelter a legacy of Robert Muldoons Think Big projects ? Either of you know ?

[Kane007]

Originally Posted by ZEALand

Kane or Jarbury is this smelter a legacy of Robert Muldoons Think Big projects ? Either of you know ?

I should be old enough to remember off hand, but just couldn't so had to google it.

The answer is a big NO and a little yes.

The smelter pre dates Muldoon but he did initiate the " third reduction line at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter." - under the think big scheme.

Tiwai open in 1971 under the Keith Holyoake [National]. I was probably still potty training

[ZEALand]

Hehe thanks Kane.

[Kane007]

Received this afternoon, from the ARC a letter re applicant Crest Energy Ltd - the Kaipara Harbour Marine Turbine project.

Simply it was a resource consent application WITHDRAWAL.

"A revision of the proposal by the applicant brings the entire project under the jurisdiction of the Northland Regional Council and Kaipara District Council"

[jarbury]

So it's still possibly going ahead, it's just shifted a little northwards? I guess the mouth of the Kaipara Harbour must be the boundary between the Auckland Region and the Northland Region.

[Kane007]

Yeh, possibly the compliance rig ma role just got a little too much .

[Kane007]

A little more detail [graphical] re their revised resource consent application



P.S. the outcome of the consent is due late 2007 or early 2008.

[jarbury]

Gas-fired Genesis plant at Rodney 'may yet be built'
5:00AM Wednesday December 12, 2007


The Court of Appeal says a controversial gas-fired power plant north of Auckland, on the edge of the Kaipara Harbour at Rodney, may yet go ahead.

"We have been told that the application remains alive and is being processed," the court said yesterday in a judgment overturning a High Court ruling that climate change and greenhouse gas emissions could be a consideration in consents under the Resource Management Act.

"In considering the application by Genesis Power for a discharge permit into the air of greenhouse gases associated with the proposed Rodney power station, the Auckland Regional Council must not have regard to the effects of that discharge on climate change," the Appeal Court ruled.

Energy Minister David Parker claimed in October that state-owned generators - including Genesis - have been told not to proceed with any plans to add thermal power generators to their baseload ability.

And after Prime Minister Helen Clark said she wanted the sector to focus on renewable energy unless new coal- and gas-fired stations were needed to ensure security of supply, Mr Parker said the strategy spelt the end of the road for the Rodney plant.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen also questioned how Genesis' gas-fired plant at Rodney would get the go-ahead under the new energy strategy "unless there was an absolutely clear offset against higher emitting thermal capacity elsewhere".

The Appeal Court said environmental lobby group Greenpeace "points to the conflict between unequivocal assertions made by Cabinet ministers to the effect that the Rodney project is off, and Genesis Power's position that it is not necessarily off".

It said the Government's policy - and legislation introduced last week for a 10-year ban on new fossil-fuel power stations - does "not exclude the reasonable possibility that the application will proceed".

The court noted the "opaque nature of the material supplied by Genesis Power" left it to assume no decision had been made on canning the project.

They noted eventual construction of the power station might be more than 10 years away, and so not in conflict with government policy, or it could be built sooner as a peak-load generator, and still not conflict with the Government's ban on new fossil-fuel generation.

Greenpeace won the original High Court ruling that climate change could be considered in RMA consents for such projects.

Greenpeace climate campaigner Susannah Bailey said the appeal court ruling has removed a crucial legal control on polluters' greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand.


"Greenpeace is currently reviewing whether to appeal the ruling at the Supreme Court," she said.

She called on the Government to support the Green Party's bill to amend the RMA, and implement a national policy statement to promote renewable energy and a shift away from fossil fuels.

- NZPA

How can the Court of Appeal state that Climate Change is NOT an environmental effect???? A bit embarrassing really, that our 2nd highest court is basically denying Climate Change.

GWB would love em!

[kegan]

Government to bypass consent process for power projects
Radio NZ News
Posted at 12:26am on 21 Dec 2007

The Government is planning to exercise a rarely-used provision of the Resource Management Act to bypass the usual consent process for two renewable energy projects.

Contact Energy is seeking consents for a new geothermal station near Taupo, while Unison wants to build a 34-turbine wind farm at Te Waka near the Napier-Taupo road in Hawke's Bay.

Environment Minister Trevor Mallard says the proposals are of national significance. The Government has a target of having 90% of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2025.

Under the RMA, the minister can direct such projects straight to the Environment Court or a Board of Inquiry, instead of the decision being made by the relevant local bodies.

Mr Mallard says he will issue his direction in January after the normal holiday period.

He says he intends to appoint a Board of Inquiry to look at the geothermal station, while the Te Waka windfarm proposal will go to the Environment Court which has already considered previous Te Waka proposals.

Mr Mallard says residents will still get to have their say on the energy developments and the projects will be considered in line with the relevant district and regional plans.

[MonsieurAquilone]

Very wise. Good move.

[spotila]

sooner the better

[jarbury]

Definitely good to see renewables fast-tracked. Hopefully some care has been taken to ensure there aren't particularly nasty adverse effects.

[metroman]

Can someone give me a rundown on Rob Muldoon's "Think Big" project. Does it have any relevance today.

[Kane007]

I believe we may have finally paid the bill all off now.

Lets see - without wikipedia - natural gas conversion to petrol plant down Taranaki - moth balled I think.

Upgraded Marsden pt to Marsden B - moth balled.

Glenbrook steel mill upgraded.

Clyde dam.

There's more here and at wikipedia plus current status.