27 February 2008
Pie in the sky is never a good investment
Solid Energy has to be told to stop wasting taxpayers' money on pie in the sky lignite to liquid fuel schemes that will
only skyrocket New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.
Yesterday, Solid Energy CEO Don Elder told the National Power Conference that Solid Energy was progressing its
Southland coal to liquid fuels project and had developed strong relationships with key potential international partners.
"There are real questions about whether carbon capture and storage of emissions from coal burning will work or not. But
even if the technology is successfully developed, making petrol and diesel from lignite will still increase New
Zealand's climate changing emissions," Ms Fitzsimons says.
This is because these emissions could potentially only be captured from the plant that converts the coal into petrol and
diesel.
They cannot be captured and stored from the tail pipes of the vehicles that burn the fuel, nor can they be captured
during the mining process if the lignite is being taken from underground.
"The Green Party is opposed to any expansion of coal mining in New Zealand and particularly the use of lignite for
liquid fuels. "The way to a reducing greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand's transport system is through much more
efficient vehicles, better public transport, more car pooling, more walking and cycling and the from the use of some
biofuels and electrically powered vehicles.
"The owner of Solid Energy, which is the Government on behalf of the people of New Zealand, must tell the company to
get its head out of the clouds and stop wasting our money on pie in the sky schemes such as this."
ENDS