Greenpeace is calling on the Government to restore
confidence to offshore wind investors by cancelling the fast
track process for seabed mining, after it was revealed today
that another offshore wind investor announced they were
halting plans to invest here due to seabed mining.
“On
the very day that Prime Minister Luxon is spruiking his
pro-investment qualifications at his own Infrastructure
Summit, a second offshore wind investor is in the news being
driven out of New Zealand by Luxon’s obsession with
mining, seabed mining in particular,” said Dr Russel Norman,
Greenpeace Aotearoa Executive Director.
“The offshore
wind industry is a $50 billion opportunity for New Zealand
to benefit from cheap renewable generation while creating
thousands of jobs but it is blocked by the Luxon
government’s support for seabed mining.
Newsroom has
reported
today that a second offshore wind group, Sumitomo, has
been forced to halt plans for massive new electricity
generation in the south Taranaki Bight after the government
announced it was promoting seabed mining in the same
space.
In 2024, Spanish offshore wind developer BlueFloat
Energy announced it would no longer pursue its plans for
wind farms off the coast of Taranaki and Waikato, citing
uncertainties around seabed allocation.
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“This is a
government that is hostile to offshore renewable energy
investment and that irrational position is now embarrassing
New Zealand with coverage in offshore media such
as Bloomberg,” says Norman.
“The Luxon Government
has slammed the door shut in the face of offshore wind
investors, instead promoting the environmentally destructive
seabed mining industry of their campaign donors.
“If
the government is serious about climate change, serious
about attracting investment to meet the energy needs of the
country, then it will cancel seabed mining and open the door
to offshore wind
investment.”
