Solid Energy

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Solid Energy
Type State owned enterprise
Founded 1987, Wellington
Headquarters Wellington, New Zealand
Key people Don Elder
Industry mining, coal
Products Coal.
Revenue $400 Million NZD (2005)
Employees ?
Website www.solidenergy.co.nz/

Solid Energy is the largest coal mining company in New Zealand and is a state owned enterprise of the New Zealand Government.

The company was formed from the former government department State Coal Mines. It was then established as a private state owned company called Coal Corporation in 1987, and renamed Solid Energy in 1997. It currently has a turnover of $400 million NZD and produces 4.46 million tons of coal annually. It has plans to expand this output considerably.

The company mines extensively in New Zealand's Waikato and the West Coast regions. Approximately half the coal mined is exported, as it is high value with little moisture, sulphur, or other impurities. Much of this is to China, India and Japan where it is used in the power generation and coke industries and for the manufacture of steel and other metals. Major domestic users include the Huntly Power Station and New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook

Solid Energy has been given authorisation for the Cypress mine on land near Waimangaroa and it is opposed by the environmental group Save Happy Valley Campaign (SHVC). They claim that the mine will contribute to acid mine drainage, climate change and the possible extinction of a species of Powelliphanta snail. On 27 May 2007 a Sunday Star Times news report by Nicky Hager revealed that Thompson and Clark Investigations Ltd, a security firm employed by Solid Energy, used private individuals to spy on SHVC.[1]

They were caught out in a second spying episode when Thompson and Clark attempted to employ another spy to obtain information from SHVC.[2] Solid Energy claimed that they had no knowledge of that instance of an attempt by Thompson and Clark to employ a spy. [3]

[edit] Renewable energy company acquisitions

Solid Energy has recently been investing in renewable energy companies. Nature's Flame, a company selling wood pellet fired heating, was purchased in 2003.[4]

The family-owned, Nelson based solar hot water heating company Sensible Heat was acquired in July 2007. It would be used as a basis for a unit of Solid Energy called Switch. [5]

Canterbury Biodesiel, operating in Christchurch, was acquired by Solid Energy in 2007 which was then renamed New Zealand Biodesiel.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Nicky Hager; Deidre Mussen. "'I was paid to betray protesters'", Sunday Star Times, 2007-05-27. Retrieved on 2007-05-28. 
  2. ^ Private investigators still digging on West Coast, Sunday Star Times, Sunday, 20 April 2008, Sunday, 20 April 2008.
  3. ^ Statement by Solid Energy re article in today’s Sunday Times. Solid Energy (2008-04-20). Retrieved on 2008-04-21.
  4. ^ Nature's Flame wood pellet ash organic certified. Solid Energy (2007-04-05). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.
  5. ^ Wood, Alan. "Coalminer buys solar heat firm", The Press, 2007-06-12. Retrieved on 2008-04-21. 
  6. ^ Solid Energy enters biodiesel market. Solid Energy (2007-05-09). Retrieved on 2008-02-27.

[edit] External links


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