Solid Energy

Solid Energy
Company typeState owned enterprise
Industrymining, coal
Founded1987, Wellington
Defunct16 March 2018
HeadquartersChristchurch, New Zealand
Key people
Andy Coupe, Chair
ProductsCoal, renewable energy fuels
Revenue$370 million NZD (2015)[1]
Number of employees
589[1]

Solid Energy was the largest coal mining company in New Zealand and is a state owned enterprise of the New Zealand Government.

The company was formed from the former government department State Coal Mines. It was then established as a state owned enterprise called Coal Corporation in 1987 (known as Coalcorp),[2] and renamed Solid Energy New Zealand Limited in 1997. In 2015, it had a turnover of NZ$369.8 million and produced 2.8 million tonnes of coal.[1]

The company mined extensively in New Zealand's Waikato and the West Coast regions. Approximately half the coal mined was exported, as it was high value with little moisture, sulphur, or other impurities. Much of this was to China, India and Japan where it was used in the power generation and coke industries and for the manufacture of steel and other metals. Major domestic users included the Huntly Power Station and New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook.

Solid Energy went into voluntary administration in August 2015.[3] On 31 October 2016 it was announced that the company's assets had been sold to three separate buyers.[4] On 16 March 2018 the company was put into liquidation.[5]

  1. ^ a b c "Annual Report 2015" (PDF). Solid Energy. 29 September 2015.
  2. ^ "Industry History". Solid Energy. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  3. ^ English, Bill; McClay, Todd (13 August 2015). "Solid Energy into temporary voluntary administration" (Press release). New Zealand Government.
  4. ^ "Solid Energy sales process achieves strong outcome". Solid Energy. 31 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Solid Energy Limited". NZ Companies Office. Retrieved 13 April 2018.