News Archive
Solid Energy opens Taupo wood pellet plant in New Zealand
Thursday, March 11, 2010
New Zealand prime minister John Key has opened the country's largest wood pellet fuel plant. Built by Solid Energy business, Nature's Flame, the NZ$34 million ($23.7 million)Taupo plant will initially produce up to 40,000 tonnes per annum of the clean-burning, low-carbon fuel with a substantial proportion of its output exported, as TTJ reported.
The company also unveiled a three-year NZ$15 million ($10.5 million) contract to supply the European utility sector. The first major shipment in the contract - 6,500 tonnes - is now being loaded at the Port of Napier. Nature's Flame branded wood pellets will also be exported to Italy for the home-heating market and to Japan.
"Our substantial plantation forestry resource means New Zealand has the potential to be a leading supplier of quality wood pellet fuel and we are confident that Nature's Flame can compete very well in the premium end of this market," said Don Edler, Solid Energy's CEO.
