Like others on the West Coast, Solid Energy believes the region can benefit in a range of ways from locally sourced electricity. The company says Stockton has the water resource to generate 176GWh of renewable electricity a year but any scheme has to be properly integrated into its main business of coal mining.
A Westport-based group, Hydro Developments Ltd (HDL), recently gained consents for a hydro proposal using the same water from Stockton.
Barry Bragg, chief operating officer of Solid Energy, said: “We believe that our scheme is a better fit with our coal mining plans and environmental commitments at Stockton. At this stage we have no information that says HDL will be able to meet our expectations, or if they do, whether they have a viable project that is the best for the Stockton plateau.
“That’s why we believe it is important to progress our scheme to provide the maximum likelihood for the Buller community and for the New Zealand electricity system that a good hydro project at Stockton will proceed.”
Stockton mine, operated by Stockton Alliance, is said to be a valuable operational coal mining asset of Solid Energy. Its output underpins KiwiRail’s midland line and contributes to the business of Lyttelton Port of Christchurch, Solid Energy said.
