LNG imports: Energy Minister Simon Watts open-minded on scale

Energy Minister Simon Watts said last week that the Government will decide on the specifications of a new LNG import facility before Christmas. (Image: NZME)

Pattrick Smellie

Thu, 09 Oct 2025

The Government is open-minded about whether the liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility it intends to underwrite is large- or small-scale, according to the Energy Minister, Simon Watts.In an interview with BusinessDesk, Watts said that while the reforms announced last week envisaged a small-scale LNG import facility, its request for proposals was “unconstrained” as to optimal scale.“It is asking the market what they see as feasible and appropriate for the New Zealand market and what is possible,” he said. “There will...

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