Over the past few weeks various sources have been expressing emotions and sharing facts about the possible closure of
Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter.
The Southland Chamber of Commerce, representing business, launched a campaign ‘Fight for Fairness. ’ I looked up the
meaning of fairness in the dictionary: ‘a means of making judgements free from discrimination’. So we need to hear all
sides of the story.
Yes, there are benefits from the smelter employing 900 people and providing 6.5% of Southland’s GDP ,
However, there are also some questionable points:
22000 tonnes of DROSS stored in Southland with all the environmental issues and costs it brings https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/southland/six-years-work-sort-toxic-stockpile
Emissions of 535,000 Tonnes of CO2 each year into the atmosphere. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiwai_Point_Aluminium_Smelter
Do NZAS provide full financial information when regularly pressurising our Government to reduce the electricity costs,
or do they say some information is commercially sensitive and cannot be disclosed? Is that fair? https://www.interest.co.nz/business/102265/rio-tintos-dangling-potential-closure-tiwai-point-front-government-whats-its-power
If the smelter closed then Southland would need to look at alternatives which could benefit Southland.
How about a Hydrogen refinery at Tiwai using the electricity and assets already available? The 850 MW Manapouri power
would produce 370,000kgs of hydrogen a day. ( 55kwh per 1kg hydrogen) Cars can travel 75kms per kilogram of hydrogen,
The technology is becoming available now.
See newspaper articles of 17th September 2019 ‘Reimagining Scotland: Can hydrogen fuel unlock our future energy
potential.’ https://www.insider.co.nz/special-reports/can -hydrogen-fuel-unlock-scotlands-20070965
‘Fight for Fairness – Reimagining Southland’