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Robyn Edie / Stuff
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at the Murihiku Marae in Invercargill with, from left, Peggy Peek and Winsome Skerrett as they listen to Ngai Tahu kaumatua Sir Tipene O’Regan talk about Tiwai Point’s transition to green hydrogen production.
Ngāi Tahu wants Tiwai Point to become a green hydrogen plant with kaumatua Sir Tipene O’Regan describing it as a “no-brainer”.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visited the Murihiku Marae in Invercargill on Monday morning, where O’Regan spoke at a meeting via video link about wanting to transition Tiwai to a green hydrogen plant.
Rio Tinto has signaled its intentions to close the smelter in New Zealand next year if it cannot secure a better energy deal.
Various political parties have launched policies pushing for the Tiwai closure to at least be delayed.
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* Tiwai Point closure: benefits and hooks
Robyn Edie / Stuff
Ngai Tahu kaumatua Sir Tipene O’Regan speaks via video-link to a meeting in Murihiku Marae on the transition from Tiwai Point to green hydrogen production.
O’Reagan said that while supporting a transition process for the Southland economy he asked “transition to what?”
He pushed the case for a green hydrogen plant to use the energy generated in Manapouri.
He said the main reason for wanting to turn Tiwai into green hydrogen was to maintain substantial exports abroad through the energy produced.
“The perfect place to do that is Awarua, where we already have people and facilities,” O’Reagan said.
“While the surplus [of energy] can be left in the system, exporting electricity from Manapouri to the great mass market of New Zealand, it will help the great washing machine of GDP, it will do nothing to improve our export capacity.
Bejon Haswell / Stuff
Elder Sir Stephen O’Regan.
He believed that a move towards sustainable and renewable green hydrogen was a “no-brainer”.
O’Reagan said that Ngāi Tahu had invested heavily in Southland and wanted to continue to do so.
“The ability to address the nation’s emissions in a clean renewable technology, which is already largely structurally implemented, makes extraordinary sense.”
Talking to Stuff Later Monday, Ardern said she was excited about the prospects for hydrogen, which was a very realistic possibility for Tiwai.
“We now have a complete hydrogen plan as a government, we already have our first hydrogen operation in New Zealand which will open next year.
“We are creating a freight link to refuel cargo in New Zealand – you have to create a national market, and we are doing that.”
