News

October 06, 2008

Solid Energy Has Coal In Abundance Down In New Zealand, And A Growing Renewables Portfolio Too

By Chris Cann

One of New Zealand's leading high-quality coal producers is on track to become one of the country's major producers of renewable energy when two major green energy projects come online next year. Solid Energy’s seven coal mines produce of the order of four million tonnes per year of low ash, high energy coal, the bulk of which goes to the steel industry. The coal also boasts the lowest sulphur content of any in New Zealand. But, despite its 700 million tonne resource base, there’s more to Solid Energy than just coal. This is an example in the southern hemisphere of what looks to be a small but growing trend in coal mining: a tendency to diversification into fully fledged energy. Solid is in the process of major expansions to its renewable fuel capacity through the construction of additional biomass and biodiesel plants.

General manager of renewable energy, Andy Matheson, told Poweralternatives that both projects were moving ahead, with construction under way on both sites. The civil and foundation works for the Taupo wood pellet plant are  “well under way”, while the building of oilseed silos and the extraction facility, along with civil works, are  building a head of steam at the biodeisel site near Christchurch.
 
Solid Energy's biomass interests are managed as a subsidiary...