Tiwai To Provide Additional Dry Winter Electricity Back-up

Mike Sanford

Mar 05, 2024 - 1 min read

NZAS and Meridian Energy’s new agreement will contribute an additional 20MW of electricity to the national grid over a 12-week period in winter.
This contribution is over and above the existing 50MW demand response agreement with Meridian, totaling up to 70MW of potential support.
Starting from 3 June 2024, Meridian may utilize up to 20MW at any given time for up to four trading periods (two hours) per day, helping to alleviate pressure on the grid during peak usage times.

“We are very pleased to be able to offer this additional support for New Zealand’s power grid. While we all hope this winter will not put undue stress on the national grid, having up to 70 MW of available electricity will be beneficial if New Zealand’s energy system does come under pressure,” Chris Blenkiron, Chief Executive of NZAS, conveyed his organization’s commitment to national energy resilience.

He further elaborated on the strategic vision for the future, “As we look to secure a future for Tiwai beyond 2024, we would expect any future electricity supply arrangements to have demand response capability built into them. This recognises that with the energy we use comes a responsibility to play our part in keeping the lights on across New Zealand when needed.”

The activation of this agreement, which equates to the power needed for a city like Napier, underscores the collaborative efforts to bolster the national grid’s capacity during critical times.

Editor note: This story was updated at 3pm, Tuesday 27th February.