Meridian Energy reaches deal with Rio Tinto over Tiwai Point Smelter
Meridian Energy reaches deal with Rio Tinto over Tiwai Point Smelter Thu, 14 Jan 2021, 9:28AM
The Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is Southland s largest employer and New Zealand s largest single user of electricity. Photo / supplied
Meridian Energy reaches deal with Rio Tinto over Tiwai Point Smelter Thu, 14 Jan 2021, 9:28AM
The owners of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter say they have reached a deal with electricity provider Meridian Energy that will keep it open until the end of 2024.
While neither Meridian nor Rio Tinto have given details of the deal, Contact Energy has revealed that it has stepped in to provide Meridian some of the electricity the smelter requires.
By Reuters Staff
1 Min Read
Jan 14 (Reuters) - Global miner Rio Tinto said on Thursday it had reached an agreement with Meridian Energy , an electricity provider, which would allow its aluminium smelter in New Zealand to continue operations till December 2024.
Rio Tinto had said in July it would close the New Zealand Aluminium Smelters venture due to high costs and a challenging market, putting over a thousand jobs on the line and dealing a blow to the country’s top power producers. (Reporting by Shashwat Awasthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel)
Rio Tinto announced in July it would close the plant, which hires 1000 people, in August 2021. But the Government is currently negotiating with the company to try to keep it open for another three to five years so the Southland economy has time to transition to other industries. No decision has yet been made, though Rio Tinto has said it wants a decision on the plant’s future made before Christmas.
Kavinda Herath/Stuff
Ngai Tahu kaumatua Michael Skerrett is calling on Rio Tinto to do the right thing by the remediation of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter site when it closes.
Tiwai Point: Ngāi Tahu wants Rio Tinto to engage with iwi over closure
16 Dec, 2020 09:04 PM
3 minutes to read
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said there were problems in the aluminium market. As a sector, it has had its troubles. Rio Tinto was having discussions around the world with Governments.
Finance Minister Grant Robertson said there were problems in the aluminium market. As a sector, it has had its troubles. Rio Tinto was having discussions around the world with Governments.
RNZ
Ngāi Tahu are calling on Rio Tinto to engage with iwi over the closure of the aluminium smelter at Tiwai Point.