Industrial gas users north of Taranaki are on short rations after the Maui gas pipeline was closed this morning to investigate reports of a leak in the critical supply line for natural gas to a range of industries, including electricity generators, dairy processors and food processors.
For the moment, all electricity generators north of the pipeline closure, understood to be around Whitecliffs, north of New Plymouth, have been instructed not to use gas-fired generation, but the next tiers of industrial and commercial users have yet to receive any instruction.
National grid operator Transpower advised it "believes there is sufficient alternative generation to cover for the immediate gas outage."
A conference call among gas industry participants was under way at 11am, with potential for further cutbacks being ordered for other major users.
The typical pattern in major gas pipeline outages is for major users to cut back consumption and, if serious enough, to close operations, but for residential gas users to be unaffected in the short term.
