NGC takes Chelsea contract off Contact

By PAULA OLIVER

Natural Gas Corporation has wrested a big contract from competitor Contact Energy. It will supply gas to the landmark Chelsea sugar refinery in Auckland for the next two years.

Chelsea's distinctive pink Birkenhead buildings use as much gas each year as 26,000 homes, making the 700,000 gigajoule contract NGC's largest in Auckland.

General manager (energy trading) Chris Graham said the contract was secured through a competitive tender, and NGC's high levels of service and technical support had helped.

The sugar refinery is going through a growth phase, and staff are keen to work with NGC to find ways to improve the plant's efficiency. Although neither party revealed if NGC's offer was cheaper than Contact's, sugar company engineering manager Grant Ritchie said NGC's offer was very competitive.