Marsden B
| Marsden B Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Location of Marsden B
|
|
| Country | New Zealand |
| Location | Marsden Point, Northland |
| Coordinates | 35°52′32″S 174°28′05″E / 35.875474°S 174.468041°ECoordinates: 35°52′32″S 174°28′05″E / 35.875474°S 174.468041°E |
| Status | Decommissioned |
| Construction began | late 1970s |
| Commission date | was never commissioned |
| Owner(s) | Mercury Energy |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Fuel Oil |
| Cogeneration? | No |
| Combined cycle? | No |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 238 MW |
Marsden B was an unused 250 MW oil-fired power station near the Marsden Point Oil Refinery at Marsden Point, Ruakaka, Northland, New Zealand. Due to rising oil prices, the plant was mothballed in 1978 without ever being commissioned. The Marsden site also includes the Marsden A power station, now a synchronous compensation facility owned and operated by Mercury Energy.
Various schemes were considered for utilising the plant, spanning a range of fuels and technologies. A 2004 proposal to refurbish it for coal-fired use drew environmental protests and created drawn-out legal challenges before this proposal was also eventually abandoned. The plant was dismantled and shipped to India in 2012.
Marsden B was built as an oil-fired plant but never commissioned, due to rising oil prices and cheaper alternatives available from natural gas and from the hydroelectric generation of the South Island. It was to be a station associated with Marsden A and was built next to it on the same site.
A program of extended maintenance was undertaken with the major components being "preserved" with anti-rust chemical coatings and regular inspection. This "mothballing" was put into place as an economy measure should demand ever make its use an economical proposition. At various times, some items of auxiliary equipment were removed and relocated to other power stations around the country. The exhaust chimneys for both stations were brought down after partial dismantling of Marsden A.
In 2004, Mighty River Power proposed modification of Marsden B for operation on coal. This revived a 1970s proposal, and would require the construction of a branch line railway, the Marsden Point Branch, to carry in the quantity of coal required. The proposal drew record numbers of submissions mostly in opposition. Greenpeace New Zealand staged an occupation of the site in 2005.
The following is a timeline of the events associated with the proposed coal-fired reactivation:
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