Meridian and NZAS agree to shorten current demand response

Meridian Energy and New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS) have agreed that NZAS will ramp up production from 16 June 2025 to bring the current demand response to an end early, targeting a completion date of 11 August 2025 rather than 25 November 2025. NZAS will notify Meridian if the target completion date changes.

The demand response option in place is Option 4. This is normally 185MW but currently modified to 50MW.

“New Zealand’s hydro storage is looking much healthier than it was just a few weeks ago, so we are now confident regarding security of supply this winter. As a result, we want NZAS to get back to business” says CEO designate Mike Roan.

“This is another example of how willing NZAS is to support New Zealand’s electricity system while making some of the purest, renewable aluminium on the planet and we are hugely appreciative of that.”

Meridian will next have the ability to call for demand response Option 3 (100MW) or Option 4 (185MW) under the demand response agreement between the parties to take effect from 12 April 2026. Meridian will next be able to call demand response Option 1 (25MW) no sooner than 60 days after this ramp up finishes, and Option 2 (50MW) no sooner than 90 days after this ramp up finishes.

A copy of the original demand response agreement and the new ramp-up agreement is available on Meridian’s website at:
https://www.meridianenergy.co.nz/about-us/investors/reports/nzas-contract

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Announcement PDF