Asbestos find an added reason to close New Plymouth station

Contact Energy should take the opportunity provided by the discovery of asbestos at the New Plymouth power station to close the station permanently, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.

“The New Plymouth power station is old, dirty and expensive to run. It was built before pollution controls were common for power stations, and it burns expensive and dirty fuel oil,” Ms Fitzsimons says.



“Contact Energy has embarked on an exciting new programme of renewables, wind and geothermal, with a small, gas-fired peaking plant also being proposed to cover the periods when the wind does not blow.

“This represents an opportunity to save the cost of cleaning up the New Plymouth station, improve air quality in New Plymouth, and re-inforce the company’s image as a modern, clean generator.

“Alternatively, the New Plymouth station could be mothballed as part of New Zealand’s energy reserve, to run only when a dry winter leaves the lakes very low,” Ms Fitzsimons says.