Marsden B stipulations too high: plant owner

Mighty River Power says the environmental standards imposed on its plan to reopen Marsden B power station are effectively asking it to clean up the coastline.

The state-owned enterprise, which sells electricity under the Mercury brand, says contaminant levels imposed by commissioners for cadmium and nickel are lower than those occurring naturally in the marine environment.

"In a perverse way it looks like we're running a coal plant to clean up the environment," said Mighty River chief executive Doug Heffernan.

Mighty River and environmental campaigners have both launched appeals against the mothballed station's resource consent.

The SOE wants to convert the oil-fired Marsden B station, which was built in the 1970s, to run on coal. Mighty River Power says New Zealand's coal supply needs to be exploited to keep down electricity prices.

Last month, a panel of commissioners, appointed by Northland Regional and Whangarei District Councils, gave the company 35-year consents for the station.

Greenpeace appealed the decision to the Environment Court. Mighty River has matched it with its own appeal but is challenging conditions imposed on its operation.

Greenpeace says the commissioners did not correctly interpret the law relating to how climate change emissions are considered.

They also claim the station is a threat to human health and the environment through its emissions of mercury, sulphur and dioxin.

Dr Heffernan said the marine decision could be due to a lack of confidence in the baseline levels recorded in the environment.

Mighty River was about to start more technical studies into the marine environment round Bream Bay.

No date has been set for the Environment Court to hear the Marsden B appeals, but it is unlikely before the end of this year.