NZ Faces Fuel Supply Issue – With or Without Aqua

NZ Faces Fuel Supply Issue – With or Without Project Aqua

New Zealand faces a fuel supply issue, and Project Aqua, if it had gone ahead, wasn’t necessarily going to prevent an energy crisis, says John Gardiner, Deputy Chief Executive of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ).

“What we face is a fuel supply issue – we don’t lack fuels in New Zealand, what we lack is the ability to access them. Water for hydro, coal, wind, geothermal and other sources of fuel are bound by regulatory frameworks which are slow, expensive and cumbersome. More Gas is undoubtedly out there, but it is pure chance for it to be discovered and developed in time.

“While New Zealand needs to balance the conflicting demands on our resources, surely what we need is a quicker more efficient framework, and strong leadership to take New Zealand through the next 10 years,” said Mr Gardiner.

“One immediate short-term and medium solution is for the government to back a major push to get more energy savings. This is at least one area where the Government has a tool box, The National Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, driven by EECA,” he said.

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