MMH - Marsden Maritime Holdings

**Aaron** · 25-09-2020, 10:51 AM

The herald had a brief article about a dry dock in Whangarei not going ahead, although I didn't properly read the article it would appear to be a negative for MMH and the navy moving North.

Not wanting to join the negative brigade as I am invested in MMH but without Shane Jones pushing it a move North seems much less likely. What would be good to see like the work being done on the rail line currently is a rail spur to the port as well as the continuation of the motorway north and a way through or around the Brynderwyns to Marsden Point. Then maybe MMH could take some of the business off Auckland much like POT has been doing for years. Marsden point is 60kms closer to Auckland than Tauranga.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...ectid=12367495

**Marilyn Munroe** · 25-09-2020, 04:16 PM

One of the justifcations for a rail spur to Marsden Point which gets lost in the argy-bargy about containers is the removal from the roads of port bound logging trucks.

The uptake of logging traffic from the reopening of the Napier Gisbourne line to Wairoa is a pointer towards this outcome.

Ask a Northland motorist if removing some of the logging truck traffic is a good thing.

Boop boop de do
Marilyn

PS. I hope if there is change of government the spur line contruction does not get mothballed as political utu against the NZ First clan.

**Getty** · 25-09-2020, 05:42 PM

Unfortunately, most of the " get the trucks off the road brigade" dont understand logistics.

Firstly, the rail line north of Whangerei is mothballed.
it is built of light grade rail, meaning major expenditure is necessary to upgrade it = no return on investment = money better spent on roads, so ALL taxpayers and road users can benefit.
On both this & the southern sector, forests are not conveniently located parallel to the lines, meaning logs would have to be trucked to several rail heads, then double handled at great cost onto rail, whereas if you left them on the back of the truck, they would be in the Port marshalling area.

Bearing in mind these logs are sold into a competitive market place, efficiency is whats required, not idealism.
If money was no object, and rail was used as much as it could be, most of the logging trucks would still exist, to feed the rail anyway.

Are the GTTOTR brigade going to pay for all the extra, expensive loaders and staff required?
Ah but we have to pay for all the damage the trucks do to the road they say.
Really?, well road user charges put paid to that argument.

The reopening of the Wairoa line is a good pointer how to waste money, that would have been better spent on the road.
Its had just 2 paying trains since!!
Even Winston jumped off his publicity train at Esk, not far from Napier.

Neither area suffers from high traffic density due to trucks. .

**Lion_graf** · 03-10-2020, 06:11 AM

Marsden Point, the country's sole oil refinery, has spent more than a year looking at the potential of new technologies – including solar and hydrogen – to lower its costs or to form the basis of new, low-carbon business lines in the future.

The Refinery has approved the construction of a $37 million solar farm on 31 hectares, which will be one of New Zealand’s largest, and will supply 26.7 MW or around 10% of their total electricity need.

The company is already one of New Zealand’s largest producers of steam reformed hydrogen and investigative work is underway to establish the preferred hydrogen production technology and end use applications.

**Nor** · 03-10-2020, 09:17 AM

Doesn't even seem worth doing for only 10%. Why bother?

**Zaphod** · 03-10-2020, 10:25 AM

Originally Posted by Nor

Doesn't even seem worth doing for only 10%. Why bother?

Can the 31Ha be used for dual purposes now it's covered in solar? The options are probably quite limited. What is the opportunity cost of the solar farm?

**Nor** · 03-10-2020, 11:48 AM

Dunno. How do you work out an opportunity cost given that it's one thing if the port moves north and another thing if it doesn't. Seriously interested in this as the process is applicable to similar problems. By probabilities?

**Aaron** · 14-10-2020, 11:45 AM

Originally Posted by Lion_graf

Marsden Point, the country's sole oil refinery, has spent more than a year looking at the potential of new technologies – including solar and hydrogen – to lower its costs or to form the basis of new, low-carbon business lines in the future.

The Refinery has approved the construction of a $37 million solar farm on 31 hectares, which will be one of New Zealand’s largest, and will supply 26.7 MW or around 10% of their total electricity need.

The company is already one of New Zealand’s largest producers of steam reformed hydrogen and investigative work is underway to establish the preferred hydrogen production technology and end use applications.

You might be confusing Marsden Maritime Holdings with NZR as I think the solar farm was a NZ Refinery proposal not a port proposal. The discussion might be more relevant on the NZR thread.

FYI not sure if this is behind a paywall but might be of interest. Sounds sensible but not exciting to a more speculative investor like myself. I will stay invested in MMH as it is likely to grow slowly over the long term but unfortunately no big announcements and quick profits on this. Also holding anything seems to be the way to go in this day and age.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/...K3JMSM5QXUR5I/

The doomsayers might be right about an Auckland shift but with below 2% mortgages any yield is welcome with the possibility for some growth in the future.