Now that Tiwai Point aluminium smelter is closing, 13% of New Zealand’s electricity supply will be freed up.
And this 13% is 100% renewable, coming from the Lake Manapouri hydroelectric plant.
Some people are thunking bug (that’s the Kiwi accent for thinking big):
“A South Island-born businessman wants to lure Tesla to Tiwai.
“After the announcement on Thursday of New Zealand Aluminium Smelter's (NZAS) plan to close its Tiwai Point smelter near Invercargill, officials scrambled to salvage what they could from the debris.
“Some, including Temuka-born electric vehicle-charging entrepreneur Nigel Broomhall, believe the move presents an opportunity to innovate.
“Broomhall, now Auckland-based, said he would put together a "coalition of the willing" to pitch to US electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla to establish a "Gigafactory" at Tiwai Point, if he could muster enough public support for his idea.”
While we’re at it, a kiwi is a bird, not a fruit.
Joke at your peril.
Tesla is definitely looking to open more Gigafactories:
“Tesla founder Elon Musk has said he planned to open 12 such plants, and believed the sustainable energy market might eventually require 100 plants.”
Still, Tiwai Point is near Bluff in the south of New Zealand’s South Island, and about as far away as you can get away from the rest of the planet (and its markets) before colliding with a bunch of penguins in Antarctica.
Some would even go as far as to describe Bluff as the arse end of the world.
But I’m sure they’re exaggerating.
Maybe Southlanders could pitch a Tesla Megafactory instead? Or even a Tesla Hundy-factory?
Elon Muskomania always did like a good bluff.