New Zealand’s Marsden Point completes FEED study
Channel Infrastructure (CHI), operator of the Marsden Point refinery, announced that the consortium leading the conversion of the site into a biorefinery has successfully completed the its initial Front End Engineering and Design (FEED) study.
Earlier in October 2024, CHI announced a conditional agreement with Seadra Energy and a consortium of partners including Qantas, Renova Inc, Kent Plc, and ANZ to develop a biorefinery at the location.
CHI said that the project has now moved to the next phase of its development work. This includes completing the configuration and updating FEED study, commercial contracts with suppliers (including EPC) and customers, confirming consenting requirements for site lease with Channel, plant build and operation of the biorefinery, and completion of financing arrangements, with the complexity of completing these workstreams meaning a final investment decision is now expected in 2026.
“Channel continues to work closely with Seadra and its consortium partners on this complex, but very exciting project. Should the project go ahead, this would represent a huge opportunity for Channel, Northland, and New Zealand, restoring fuel manufacturing at Marsden Point, and bringing a huge number of highly skilled jobs and investment into the region,” said Channel Infrastructure CEO Rob Buchanan.
Previously, Seadra had planned to purchase decommissioned assets from the refinery for relocation. However, after exploring various options, they determined that utilising the existing infrastructure at Marsden Point for a biorefinery would be a more efficient approach.
The biorefinery would utilise some of the existing refinery assets, which would be refurbished and repurposed. Additionally, it would leverage existing storage tanks, jetties, and other infrastructure on the site. The project would also require approximately 18-20 hectares of land.
Importantly, the proposed location for the biorefinery would not interfere with the previously announced project for sustainable aviation fuel production at Marsden Point.