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Energy crisis puts pulp production plant on hold until prices fall

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 9 Aug 2024, 5:47pm
Pan Pac's Hawke's Bay mill, north of Napier. Photo / NZME
Pan Pac's Hawke's Bay mill, north of Napier. Photo / NZME

Energy crisis puts pulp production plant on hold until prices fall

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Fri, 9 Aug 2024, 5:47pm

Pan Pac Forest Products says part of its operations could be on hold for another two months.  

The Napier mill says a major spike in electricity prices since Saturday has made its export pulp production unviable.  

Managing director Tony Clifford says the business can't generate profit with the cost of electricity at the current level.  

He told Heather du Plessis Allan either it has to rain a lot for more hydro power, or Taupo's Tauhara plant needs to come online - which might not be until October.   

He says Pan Pac has a power purchasing agreement with Tauhara and currently it's having problems, so Pan Pac is fully exposed to the wholesale electricity market. 

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