News

Positive meeting to discuss future of the Smelter and relationship matters

A meeting between senior leaders from Rio Tinto/New Zealand Aluminium Smelter (NZAS) and Murihiku Regeneration was held in Wellington on the 28th of November to discuss the future of the Tiwai Smelter and the progress of key workstreams around the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties.

Dr Michael Stevens (Awarua Representative) and Terry Nicholas (Hokonui) met with the new Chief Executive of Rio Tinto Aluminium – Jerome Pécresse and Managing Director of Pacific Aluminium – Armando Torres to progress understanding and look at how certainty around the future of the Tiwai Smelter might be achieved.(Left to Right) Armando Torres, Chris Blenkiron, Jerome Pécresse, Terry Nicholas, Michael Stevens, Sir Bill English, Mathieu Perreault, and David Stock

“The meeting was very positive, and both sides have a very clear set of outcomes and timeframes which need to be achieved” said Terry Nicholas, Portfolio Director for Murihiku Regeneration.

“We have made good progress around the commitment to the remediation and both of us want to ensure there is a good outcome for the Awarua community, for the Tiwai workforce and, to ensure we collectively achieve a good remediation programme for the site” said Dr Michael Stevens, Awarua representative.

“Ultimately the decision around the future of the Smelter sits with Rio Tinto. We do have a good understanding of the issues, nut also what a good result will look like if that Smelter continues out to at least 2040. We think good progress can be made around enhanced decarbonisation programmes and to enable new industries and innovation to add value around a long term future of the Smelter” said Terry Nicholas

Both parties have committed to ongoing discussions to try and get certainty early in the new year.

Posted: 1 December 2023

Positive next steps in supporting Rakiura-Stewart Island renewable energy business case

On 15 November, the Southland District Council (SDC) released an expressions of interest EOI to complete an initial business case to progress the development of a Renewable Energy Plan for Rakiura- Stewart Island that can make a substantial difference for access to reliable, secure, affordable low emissions energy for this community.

The EOI is being advertised through the Government Electronic Tendering Service (GETS) and we want to encourage suitably qualified and interested parties to take an interest in considering to take on this important project.

The Rakiura-Stewart Island Energy Project is being overseen by a Steering Committee, which includes local community, mana whenua, central and local government and also actively supported by Murihiku Regeneration.Rakiura taken by Michael Stevens

“We see this project as an important and highly achievable renewable energy project, which will benefit the Rakiura community, and also serve as an exemplar for other remote communities in New Zealand and the Pacific”,

“This is a priority project that we have included in our energy transition plan, and something we are happy to support. We just need to help make it happen, and ultimately it will need to be a solution that will work for the community,” says Terry Nicholas, Portfolio Director for Murihiku Regeneration.

The next stage of the EOI will be the development of an initial business case, which will bring together previous reports, undertake financial modelling and provide a next step for consideration by the Steering Group and the community. This initial work is expected to be completed early next year.

Posted: 1 December 2023

Mitsui & Co host Murihiku Upoko delegation in Tokyo to continue to build relationships

On Friday 17 November, a Murihiku Regeneration delegation led by Ta Tipene O’Regan and supported from Ngai Tahu by Ben Bateman, the Te Rūnanga o Ngai Tahu Chief Operating Office (COO), met in with senior representatives of Mitsui & Co., Ltd. at their Tokyo Headquarters to discuss shared interests, priorities, and future opportunities initially focused around the energy transition.

The visit builds on a series of previous meetings and engagements that have been undertaken over the previous 16 months, as Mitsui and Ngai Tahu continue to develop the relationship and connections.

This also includes Mitsui and Murihiku Regeneration’s interest and potential participation in developing the Southern Green Hydrogen Project, which is still in the early stages of scoping and pre feasibility studies.

“ I was hugely appreciative of the warm and gracious welcome we received in our visit with Mitsui today. We had the opportunity to discuss many useful and relevant topics of interest around shared values, that in turn underpin strong international partnerships and then create opportunities for Ngai Tahu and for Mitsui.

“We see the potential for these opportunities to begin in Murihiku-Southland, around the work we are undertaking and connected to the energy transition, which in turn will help us to strengthen our relationship.”

“This visit is Japan follows on from our earlier engagements with Mitsui around potential future projects in our takiwā, including consideration of ther Southern Green Hydrogen project. We look forward to hosting future Mitsui visits in the near future”

Murihiku Regeneration is looking to host a visit by Mr Masato Sugahara, Chair and CEO of Mitsui & Co. (Australia) Ltd, at te Rau Aroha Marae in early December. This will be another positive step in building the relationship.

Pictures: Visit with Mitsui Representatives: Toru Iijima (COO Energy BU), Jason Brown (Mitsui & Co NZ Limited CEO), and Shinya Umehara (GM Hydrogen Solutions),

Murihiku ki Ngai Tahu Delegation: Ta Tipene O’Regan, Miria O’Regan and Ben Bateman.

Posted: 23 November 2023

Community Meetings to Discuss Recent Tiwai Smelter Environmental Monitoring Reports

Environment Southland have released its own independent environmental monitoring report around the situation at the Tiwai Aluminium Smelter, operated by NZAS.

It follows a similar report released by Rio Tinto / NZAS last week, conducted by global engineering consultancy GHD.

Awarua Rūnaka has been a part of a joint working group with Rio Tinto and NZAS since 2022, to look at the development of an appropriate remediation strategy and plan. The two reports completed by NZAS and Environment Southland will help with that process.

Image provided from Stuff page https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/76144276/tiwai-point-aluminium-smelter-has-reassuring-start-to-2016-as-new-zealand-dollar-and-alumina-prices-fall

There is an opportunity for the community to find out more about this siutation.

Two community forums are planned to enable whanua and members of the community to find out more on these reports from NZAS Leaders, their environmental experts, and members of the Joint working Group.

• Invercargill: Tuesday 21 November at Transport World, 491 Tay Street from 5.30-7pm

• Awarua: Wednesday 22 November at te Rau Aroha Marae, 8 Bradshaw Street Bluff, from 5.30-7pm

Key findings of the Environment Southland EHS Report:

Key findings from EHS Support’s independent monitoring of the coastal marine area surrounding Tiwai smelter site in early 2023 include:

• Sources of contamination within operational areas of smelter have generated widespread groundwater contamination that is discharging into the coastal marine area.
• The scale and nature of the contamination recorded is less than expected as the nature of the Bluff Harbour and Foveaux Strait receiving environments both attenuate contaminant discharges to varying degrees.
• There are unlikely to be higher order or human health risks via contaminant bioaccumulation through the food chain. This determination requires further biological testing to provide a more affirmative conclusion.
• The extent of the groundwater contamination plume discharging from the landfill to Foveaux Strait is extensive (approximately 1 km wide) with the effects from this discharge currently being assessed through the re-consenting process for the NZAS landfill.
• Discharges of contaminants occur via the consented stormwater drains (above environmental screening values) posing potential chronic and at times acute effects to ecological receptors.
• There are first flush stormwater discharges from the north drain that extend beyond the mixing zones at concentrations greater than environmental screening values and consented limits. Sediment and pore water concentrations above environmental screening values extend beyond the mixing zones of the north drain.
• Groundwater discharges are occurring within the smelter domain and spent cell liner pad areas that exceed groundwater environmental screening values.
• It is clear that concentrations exceed ecological screening values within the coastal marine area to the west of the landfill (in Bluff Harbour).
• Soil contamination along select foreshore areas investigated recorded contaminant concentrations that could pose a potential terrestrial ecological risk (notably south and west drains, east landfill area, Inalco area, and spent cell pad area).
• The consent stormwater sampling is potentially under reporting contaminant concentrations beyond the mixing zone during certain flow conditions and does not address sediment or pore water contamination within the drains and broader receiving environment.
• Given the ease of public access to Bluff Harbour and the discharge points for the stormwater drains, measures should be implemented to warn the public.

[Note: We are asking NZAS to erect signage at the discharge points to alert the public of the industrial discharges.]

The full EHS report is available on the Environment Southland website.

The full GHD report is available on the NZAS website

Posted: 16 November 2023

Release of Murihiku Regeneration high level energy transition plan for Southland

Murihiku Regeneration has released its high level energy transition plan for Murihiku-Southland for implementation from 2024 as one of the key regional priorities for action. The high level plan identifies that Murihiku-Southland is better placed than most other regions in New Zealand to leverage and accelerate the energy transition to support a regenerative economy based around the four Ngai Tahu pou.

In order to deliver on a plan of this nature, it will require leadership, courage and commitment, good coordination and alignment, and setting of clear priorities to successfully deliver it,” says Terry Nicholas, the Energy Transition Programme Lead.

“Some of the key considerations identified around the plan is that any national level Energy Strategy will not be in place in time to direct effort. There is currently no plan in place to support this energy transition for Murihiku - Southland”, says Ta Tipene O’Regan.

One of the major issues identified in the plan is the need for certainty around Tiwai Smelter beyond 2024. This remains a critical enabler, which shapes to energy transition. It also identifies that resourcing and funding for new energy and supporting infrastructure remains limited and spread thin. The cost of developing a regenerative economy remains a significant barrier to implementation.

“We know that Industry and developers are looking for certainty before they can fully commit, and we need to assist around the regulatory and planning framework with 30 year infrastructure plans,” says Terry Nicholas.

The plan has been developed through working with government, industrial users, developers, generators and the community.Image taken by Anthony Powell at Scott Base of the Pouwhenua at the entrance of Scott Base

Key Challenges

The plan highlights some of the following key challenges:

1. Lack of certainty around the Tiwai Smelter continuing to operate beyond 2024. There is key risk is that key New Zealand decisionmakers believe a long term future deal to keep the Smelter open is a fait accompli. From our engagements, this is far from certain, and needs to be a priority for action for the key parties involved in the discussion.

2. Filling key infrastructure enabling ‘gaps’ through a Regional Infrastructure Plan:

• the need for regional leadership and collaboration;
• an enabling policy and regulatory framework;
• the lack of infrastructure and support;
• accelerating uptake (new supply and demand projects);
• the need to support innovation through research and development; and
• establishing an enabling environment for investment (currently too costly)

Proposed Action Areas:

Murihiku Regeneration has developed its energy transition plan to respond to these key challenges. It identifies actions as follows:

1. Gain and support certainty on Tiwai Smelter- Murihiku Regeneration working with NZAS/ Rio Tinto, regional leaders (including the EoG), and the community to aim towards a long-term solution to 2040; or begin closure planning from February 2024.
2. Establish a proactive and necessary policy and consenting approach to support the Energy Transition by:

i. Pushing for the establishment of a Murihiku-Southland Renewable Energy and Industry Zone (REZ) or similar concept that provides certainty, allows for coordination and alignment, and supports longer term investment decisions.

ii. Put in place a regional energy transitions leadership group to support the REZ and other initiatives.

iii. Work with local councils to develop a ‘consenting taskforce’ to respond to regional energy project priorities to remove barriers and speed up consenting and planning decisions.

• Support Innovation and accelerate uptake by:

i. Leveraging from the HWR Group dual fuel initiative, Southern Airports Pilot Project, and regional hydrogen transition initiative to establish a Murihiku ‘renewable energy hub’ that supports the early adoption of aviation and heavy transport decarbonisation.

• Developing a research, science and innovation programme that enables the energy transition.

iii. Exploring scalable commercial CO2 capture for SAF/ e-methanol applications, including using biomass innovation.

• ​​​​​​​Supporting the Net Zero Rakiura 2030 initiative – by supporting the development of a plan in 2024, through the established Rakiura Project Group. This plan, once endorsed by community, can be presented to local and central government for consideration.
• Support community and distributed energy innovation, projects and action.
• Developing a Priority Workforce Plan for priority net zero trades. This will be undertaken through engagement with the sector and in conjunction with our Te Ara Aukati Kore workstream.

The plan is available to view or download here.

Posted: 16 November 2023