Dr Elder says 'lignite'.
Dr Wright says 'wood'.
Elder:
“We will take full responsibility for greenhouse gas emissions in developing our Southland lignite projects."
Government-owned coal miner Solid Energy came out with a sharp comment on the Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment over a view on biofuels. Solid Energy said the Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment, Dr Jan Wright, was misinforming the important national discussion on the country’s transport future.
By *focusing solely on environmental issues*, Dr Jan Wright concludes that the future does not lie in lignite-derived fuels.
This, said Solid Energy chief executive Dr Don Elder, ignores the real question: “How do we provide New Zealanders with transport fuel security and affordability while addressing environmental sustainability?”
Dr Elder acknowledged Dr Wright’s contribution to the debate around New Zealand’s emerging biofuels industry but said her focus was* too narrow *and risks cutting off valuable options.
“Solid Energy believes the Southland lignite resource is capable of producing a secure, affordable supply of transport fuel and we are committed to addressing environmental impacts.
Wright:
The country's environmental watchdog is taking aim at a state-owned coalminer's plans to turn lignite into diesel.
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright said the Government should only support Solid Energy's plans for a large-scale synthetic-fuel facility in Mataura, Southland, after *considering if wood
could be used instead*.
"Solid Energy is a state-owned enterprise and when it invests in infrastructure it pays a lower dividend, thus reducing Government revenue,"
Wright said in a report released yesterday.
"The *responsible ministers* should take a strong interest in any *major long-term investment by Solid Energy*, especially one with the potential to *increase national greenhouse gas emissions.*"
No comments:
Post a Comment