National New Energy Development Centre Welcomed

The opening of the new energy development centre Ara Ake in New Plymouth today has been welcomed by the Petroleum Exploration and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ)

"New Zealand and the world are facing some major energy challenges and opportunities. We look forward to Ara Ake playing a constructive role as we collectively respond," says PEPANZ Chief Executive John Carnegie.

"We need affordable, reliable and sustainable energy to live our lives and power the economy. We are going to need a lot more energy from all sources and at the same time reduce our emissions.

"We hope to see the centre focus on the role of natural gas as a lower carbon transition fuel, helping lower emissions around the world by displacing higher emitting sources.

"We also expect to see a focus on the role of natural gas in creating hydrogen, which is around three times cheaper than using electricity.

"Carbon capture and storage is another vital technology that should be investigated. This is a reality around the world and there is already a concrete proposal for this to be developed in Taranaki.

"We look forward to working with Ara Ake as they tackle these issues."

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