Solid Energy

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Solid Energy

Type	State owned enterprise
Founded	1987, Wellington
Headquarters	Wellington, New Zealand
Key people	Don Elder
Industry	mining, coal
Products	Coal.
Revenue	$400 Million NZD (2005)
Employees	?
Slogan	n/a.
Website	www.solidenergy.co.nz/

Solid Energy is 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 private state owned company called Coal Corporation in 1987, and renamed Solid Energy in 1997. It currently has a turnover of $400 million NZD and produces 4.46 million tons of coal annually. It has plans to expand this output considerably.

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

A coal mine under construction on conservation land near Westport is opposed by the conservation group Save Happy Valley Campaign. They claim that the mine will contribute to acid mine drainage, climate change and the possible extinction of the Powelliphanta (Augustus) snail.