Cooking with gas remains secure
Natural gas supplier Todd Energy has opened a new $12 million earthquake-proof operations facility at the company’s McKee Mangahewa production station in North Taranaki.
The Tikorangi building was opened by the Minister of Energy and Resources, Megan Woods, yesterday. The timber laminated building will accommodate production station staff in a purposebuilt office and link a new control centre to the existing production station.
The project took 14 months to complete and was delivered on time and within budget by Taranaki wide contractors, a Todd Energy spokesman said.
McKee Mangahewa is the company’s largest onshore natural gas production station and contributes significantly to New Zealand’s annual natural gas supply, he said.
The new 940sqm operations facility has been designed to meet high wind and earthquake loads using cross laminated timber panels. Cross laminated timber is a relatively new construction technology which provides strength and endurance without compromising on environmental performance, he said.
‘‘The operations facility supports significant economic benefits and helps to deliver security of natural gas supply,’’ Todd Energy chief executive Joanna Breare said.
Breare said the company remained focused on meeting the country’s energy demands and supporting the energy transition away from fossil fuel dependency.
In April the coalition government announced a halt to all offshore oil and gas exploration after the current 22 permits expired in 2030.
The government also limited future onshore exploration to Taranaki for the next three years with reviews following that.