Source: Radio New Zealand
Marsden Point. RNZ / Peter de Graaf
The government will put more than $20 million towards additional diesel storage capacity at Marsden Point.
The arrangement – funded through the Regional Infrastructure Fund – will support 90 million litres of storage at the import and storage terminal by recommissioning storage tanks that have been unused since the closure of the refinery in 2022.
Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones said the tanks could hold around eight days’ supply, and refurbishment work was expected to begin within days.
“This is an ambitious but do-able project which will help ensure New Zealand is well-placed to weather the fuel supply issues New Zealand faces,” he said.
He had been assured by Channel Infrastructure, which owned and operated Marsden Point, that it could get the tanks ready within two months.
“While we are acutely aware of the importance of petrol and jet fuel, it is diesel that is the lifeblood of our economy. We know we have a secure supply until the end of May,” Jones said.
“If the opportunities arise for New Zealand to secure diesel supplies over and above what we are expecting, we need to be able to store it.”
RNZ reported last week that the government had received a proposal to boost storage at Marsden Point, with Jones wanting advice back as soon as possible.
At the time, Channel Infrastructure had told him there was potential to store 350 million litres of imported oil, on top of the 300 million litres of storage already in service.
The $21.6m support has been found through projects that had been approved in principle, but were not likely to go ahead.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
