The shipment bound for Marsden Point, one of two that will be held at the former refinery, was loaded on Sunday and is expected to be in the country by the middle of the month. The two shipments contain a combined 93 million litres of diesel, which represents about nine days’ of typical use. The second shipment is expected in early July. In April, the government announced $21.6 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund would go toward refurbishing two tanks at Marsden Point, which have
not been used since the closure of the refinery in 2022. Channel Infrastructure, which owns and operates the import and storage facility, has been working to refurbish the tanks in time for the mid-June arrival. The government has partnered with Z Energy to secure the diesel reserve. But how and when the reserve is used will be decided by the government, and it will not count towards the fuel companies’ minimum stockholding obligations. “Having additional diesel available in New Zealand provides greater resilience and gives
New Zealanders confidence that we are better prepared for potential supply disruptions,” Finance Minister Nicola Willis said. Small reduction in all varieties of fuel stocks, but as expected MBIE says The country’s latest fuel stocks data shows a slight decrease across all fuel types, but within expected levels. The update, accurate to the end of Wednesday, showed there were 58.1 days’ worth of petrol supply either in the country or on its way, 44.2 days’ of diesel, and 57.8 days’ of jet fuel. This compared
to the previous update, when there was 61.1 days’ worth of petrol, 45.9 days’ of diesel, and 50.3 days’ of aviation fuel. The Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment said the fuel supply chain continued to operate smoothly, with fuel flowing into the country as expected. “These movements reflect normal shipping patterns and routine variations and are consistent with what we would expect even without the conflict in the Middle East,” the ministry said. There were three ships on the water within New Zealand’s exclusive
economic zone, and 10 on the water outside the EEZ, up to three weeks away. “Fuel importers have provided good confidence through confirmed orders to July, with planned orders extending into August,” MBIE said.
MBIE, fuel stocks, diesel reserve, Marsden Point, Channel Infrastructure, Z Energy, Regional Infrastructure Fund, Nicola Willis, petrol supply, jet fuel, aviation fuel, shipping patterns