Kua Whakapumautia te Hiko, Ka Whakaroahia te Tiwai Konumohe Tiwai Point o Rio Tinto I Aotearoa Hei Mahi I Te Iti Ki Te Tau 2044

I te 30 o Haratua 2024, i haina angitu te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant o Rio Tinto i Aotearoa i te hainatanga o nga kirimana hiko 20 tau me nga kamupene hiko o te rohe. I kii a Rio Tinto Group i muri i te hainatanga o te kirimana hiko, ka taea e te tipu konumohe hiko te mahi tae noa ki te 2044.

Ko nga Kamupene Hiko o Niu Tireni kua hainatia e Meridian Energy, Contact Energy, me Mercury NZ he kirimana me te New Zealand Electrolytic Aluminum Plant ki te whakarato i te 572 megawatts katoa o te hiko ki te whakatutuki i nga hiahia hiko katoa o te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant i Aotearoa. Engari e ai ki te whakaaetanga, ko te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant i Aotearoa ka hiahia kia whakahekehia te whakapau hiko ki te 185MW. E rua nga kamupene hiko kua kii ka whakaurua ano te kaha whakahou ki roto i te hanganga hiko a muri ake nei.

I kii a Rio Tinto i roto i tetahi korero ko te whakaaetanga ka whakarite i te mahi mo te wa roa me te mau tonu o te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant i Aotearoa. Ka whakataetae tonu te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant i Aotearoa ki te whakaputa i nga konganuku parakore, iti te waro, me te whiwhi tautoko mai i te kohinga rereke o te hiko whakahou i Te Waipounamu o Aotearoa.

I kii ano a Rio Tinto kua whakaae ia ki te hoko i te 20.64% te hea i roto i te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant o Sumitomo Chemical i Aotearoa i runga i te utu kore korero. I kii te kamupene i muri i te otinga o te tauwhitinga, ko te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant i Aotearoa me Aotearoa ka 100% te mana o Rio Tinto.

E ai ki nga raraunga tatauranga, te tapeke o te kaha hanga o te Tiwai Point Electrolytic Aluminum Plant o Rio Tintoi Aotearoa he 373000 tons, me te katoa o te kaha whakaputa 338000 tons mo te tau katoa o 2023. Ko tenei wheketere anake te tipu konumohe electrolytic i Aotearoa, kei Tiwai Point e tata ana ki Bluff i Invercargill. Ko te alumina i hangaia e tenei wheketere e whakaratohia ana e nga tipu alumina i Queensland me te Northern Territory o Ahitereiria. Tata ki te 90% o nga hua konumohe i mahia e te tipu konumohe hiko Tiwai Point i Aotearoa ka kaweake ki Hapani.