The cynic in me suspects that Rio Tinto is shedding Tiwai to make its aluminum division more attractive to buyers. I recall they were trying to offload their aluminum assets when the 2013 $30m corporate welfare deal went through. Taking out a non performing plant will sweeten the deal and the resulting lower overall valuation will potentially bring it within reach for a larger pool of buyers. If this is the case, Tiwai is unlikely to get much of a stay of execution.
Would we see Mel writes off Manapouri Powe station because of smelter closing?
Are you the Minister of State Owned Enterprises King?
I have a deal for you, give me the worthless power station with a hydraulic head of 540 feet backed by two large reservoirs with a surface area of 490Km/2 and i'll give you my sawmill in the bush .
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...ectid=12349131 Bryan Leyland: Tiwai Pt smelter a victim of Muldoon-era broken contract and dysfunctional electricity market. The conclusion is that the smelter is being shut down primarily because the New Zealand government broke its power supply contract. Since then the smelter has been charged a price several times the cost of generation. If the smelter shut down much of the power that it is using now would have to be spilled: this power has no economic value.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...ectid=12349131 Bryan Leyland: Tiwai Pt smelter a victim of Muldoon-era broken contract and dysfunctional electricity market. The conclusion is that the smelter is being shut down primarily because the New Zealand government broke its power supply contract. Since then the smelter has been charged a price several times the cost of generation. If the smelter shut down much of the power that it is using now would have to be spilled: this power has no economic value.
Bryan Leyland reveals the likely economic cost of closure could be billions for NZ .
I was ignorant as to how high this cost might be
I now feel the narrative we have been fed from politicians and the media has been seriously deceptive.
It is an extra cost we cannot easily afford in these troubled times
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