Meridian, Contact invest $10m to accelerate smelter options

Meridian, Contact invest $10m to accelerate smelter options
Gavin Evans
Contact Energy and Meridian Energy have committed $10 million to enable upgrade work on the national grid in the lower South Island to reduce the impact of any reduction in production at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.The two companies are the biggest generators on the South Island and are the most exposed if the smelter, the country’s biggest electricity consumer, were to stop production. At present, there isn’t enough capacity on the national grid to get the surplus electricity that would come out of Southland and through the high-voltage...

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