When SIRRL director Paul Taylor recently described Project Kea as the “Rolls Royce” of W-t-E plants, it resurrected the story of the Geely GE. The Chinese-built GE was widely regarded as a knock-off of the Rolls Royce Phantom, offered for a fraction of the price of the Phantom. Sound familiar?
Was the GE built to the same exacting standard as the Phantom? Did it carry the same level of engineering and componentry? Of course not!
Project Kea’s budget of NZ$350 million is significantly lower than similar-sized W-t-E plants in Europe, which can cost up to three times as much. This stark contrast raises concerns about the potential risks and feasibility of the project.
SIRRL consistently assures us that the Waimate plant will not just meet but exceed European standards. The Project Kea website showcases the Amager Bakke Waste to Energy plant, with its rooftop ski slope, in an attempt to show how well W-t-E plants can integrate within the community. However, it’s important to note that the Copenhagen plant, which serves as a benchmark, costs over NZ$1 billion to build. Amager Bakke is not without its failings and highlights how over-capacity-built plants without available waste feedstocks lead to the importation of waste and the burning of recyclable material.
It’s a stark reality that New Zealand lacks specific regulations for Waste-to-Energy (W-t-E) plants. The 33-year-old Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA) still regulates NZ’s air emission standards, highlighting the urgent need for updated and specific regulations in this sector.
The $350 million budget is suggested to be well below what is required to adhere to the standards of European plants. Can we expect that SIRRL will provide more than is legally required in NZ? There is no evidence to suggest that the plant will be required to adhere to any standards that don’t exist in NZ.