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+--- Thread: Tiwai smelter to close (/showthread.php?tid=184)
Tiwai smelter to close - nzoomed - 09-07-2020
Was only last year they had reopened their mothballed potroom to increase production!
I really hope we see cheaper electricity prices as a result. Shame so many jobs will be lost though.
https://www.sunlive.co.nz/news/247345-plans-to-close-tiwai-point-smelter-announced.html
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - harm_less - 10-07-2020
Plenty of excess generation from Manapouri. Time for the government to implement some EV incentives to help mop it up.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - Rumpelteazer - 11-07-2020
(10-07-2020, 08:39 PM)harm_less Wrote: Plenty of excess generation from Manapouri. Time for the government to implement some EV incentives to help mop it up.Firstly the government will have to upgrade the transmission lines to enable the power to be made available where the population is in the north island.  Then a network of fast re-charging stations will need to be established throughout the country so that EVs can match the range of other vehicles.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - harm_less - 11-07-2020
(11-07-2020, 07:21 AM)Rumpelteazer Wrote:Plans or installation already well underway on both counts:(10-07-2020, 08:39 PM)harm_less Wrote: Plenty of excess generation from Manapouri. Time for the government to implement some EV incentives to help mop it up.Firstly the government will have to upgrade the transmission lines to enable the power to be made available where the population is in the north island.  Then a network of fast re-charging stations will need to be established throughout the country so that EVs can match the range of other vehicles.
https://www.transpower.co.nz/news/transpower-seeks-input-clutha-upper-waitaki-lines-project
https://charge.net.nz/map/
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - nzoomed - 11-07-2020
The bonus is that NZ is not going to need to worry about a power shortage any time soon!
Hopefully the consumer will be better off.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - Golfy - 12-07-2020
As far as I can tell, they canÔÇÖt get that power north so it will be wasted
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - harm_less - 12-07-2020
(12-07-2020, 09:12 AM)Golfy Wrote: As far as I can tell, they canÔÇÖt get that power north so it will be wastedThat issue is covered in the link to Transpower I made in post #4 earlier. Upgraded transmission is on the way.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - nzoomed - 15-07-2020
Will be epic if tesla sets up shop in invercargill. I was hearing something about this on the news as a possibility?
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - DymoBoy - 31-07-2020
Why do people think electricity will be cheaper? The power company will be looking to replace lost revenue when Tiwai closes, electricity will go up to cover those losses. They've already alluded to higher power prices.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - harm_less - 01-08-2020
(31-07-2020, 10:50 AM)DymoBoy Wrote: Why do people think electricity will be cheaper? The power company will be looking to replace lost revenue when Tiwai closes, electricity will go up to cover those losses. They've already alluded to higher power prices.Excess generation will result so in theory the laws of supply and demand should result in cheaper power. Its not as though the generating companies can store the excess for later use, though this may well become possible if the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project becomes reality, but then of course that project needs to be paid for so electricity prices may well rise for that reason.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - nzoomed - 01-08-2020
(01-08-2020, 04:04 PM)harm_less Wrote:(31-07-2020, 10:50 AM)DymoBoy Wrote: Why do people think electricity will be cheaper? The power company will be looking to replace lost revenue when Tiwai closes, electricity will go up to cover those losses. They've already alluded to higher power prices.Excess generation will result so in theory the laws of supply and demand should result in cheaper power. Its not as though the generating companies can store the excess for later use, though this may well become possible if the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project becomes reality, but then of course that project needs to be paid for so electricity prices may well rise for that reason.
Agree, supply and demand drive up costs.
There will be some associated costs with upgrading the grid, but will be compensated over time anyway when the use of electric cars increases.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - Topseycat - 29-10-2021
With the increase in the price of Aluminum it might possibly extend beyond the date that Rio Tinto decided to start closing the smelter down. From the sound of it the date for closure is not carved in stone
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - Oh_hunnihunni - 29-10-2021
And maybe we can all stop subsidising Rio Tinto's power bill.
RE: Tiwai smelter to close - harm_less - 31-10-2021
(29-10-2021, 04:00 PM)Oh_hunnihunni Wrote: And maybe we can all stop subsidising Rio Tinto's power bill.You been listening to Radio NZ this week too?
https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018818072/nzers-subsidising-rio-tinto-about-dollar500m-a-year-electricity-authority