The Government is partnering with New Zealand Steel to deliver New Zealand’s largest emissions reduction project to date, with half of the coal being used at Glenbrook steel to be replaced with electricity to recycle scrap steel.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins made the announcement alongside Energy and Resources Minister Megan Woods and Climate Change Minister James Shaw at the Glenbrook steel factory in South Auckland today.

“This size of this project demonstrates how serious the Government is about reducing New Zealand’s emissions as fast as possible,” Chris Hipkins said.

“This project dwarfs anything we have done to date. Alone, it will eliminate one per cent of the country’s total annual emissions.

“The plan means New Zealand businesses will have access to locally produced, cleaner steel, and high value jobs are protected that otherwise might have gone offshore.

“Partnering on this project with New Zealand Steel makes sense because it delivers such huge benefits for our environment. Without Government investment this wouldn’t have happened, so it’s fantastic to see what working together can deliver,” Chris Hipkins said.

The conditional deal with NZ Steel will be part funded up to $140 million from the $650 million Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund, which enables partnerships with industry to reduce their emissions. The rest will be funded directly by NZ Steel.

Read the press release:

NZ’s biggest ever emissions reduction project unveiled(external link)