Channel Design & Dredge/Disposal
These reports consider options for redesigning the shipping channel and how we would go about dredging.
Learn More →Changes to Whangarei Harbour entrance are being proposed
Find out what's proposed, why it's important, and how you can have your say.
Heard about it? Go directly to detailed information and full reports on the proposal and have your say.
Refining NZ is proposing changes to Whangarei Harbour entrance and looking closely at the effects of the proposed changes.
Whangarei Harbour is an important resource to many people, and is heavily used for recreation and other purposes.
We believe you should have as much opportunity as possible to hear what we are proposing, why it is important, and be able to respond with your own views.
Larger ships that visit the refinery at Marsden Point are capable of carrying bigger cargoes. But they can't get to the refinery fully loaded, because the shipping channel is not deep enough.
With bigger cargoes, fewer ships would need to visit the refinery to deliver the same amount of crude oil.
Currently bring the majority of crude oil to the refinery.
Visit the refinery occasionally, but only partially loaded.
Means fewer ships overall
To allow bigger cargoes of crude oil to be brought to the refinery, the refinery is proposing changes to the shipping channel at the entrance to Whangarei Harbour.
New Zealand's demand for fuel is met by product made at Marsden Point and fuel imported from overseas.
To keep Marsden Point running - and jobs in Northland - our fuel products need to be of the highest quality and cost competitive with imports.
Bigger cargoes would reduce the cost of transporting crude oil to the refinery
The proposed changes will help us keep pace with imports from increasingly competitive Asian "mega-refineries"
Ensuring that ships to and from the refinery can continue to travel safely on the harbour is extremely important.
Safety measures are already in place and independent experts have carefully considered the effects of the proposed changes.
Access detailed information and full reports on the proposed changes, prepared by independent experts.
Refining NZ has lodged a resource consent application for its proposal with the Northland Regional Council.
A copy of the application and supporting documentation can be found int the 'Related Downloads' section below
Hard copies will be available at Council offices:
If you have questions about our application, please contact us here.
For information about the consenting process go to the NRC website http://www.nrc.govt.nz/Consents/Notified-resource-consents or speak to them directly on 0800 002 004 or (09) 470 1200.
After extensive studies by independent experts and consultation on our proposal the refinery has lodged a application for resource consent with the regional council.
Consultation with Tangata Whenua, regulatory authorities, community organisations and the general public has added to the picture, and helped identify issues of importance and areas of cultural value or special interest that have needed to be taken into account.
If you have further questions about our proposal, or our resource consent application you can contact us here.
The refinery began consulting on the proposal to bring bigger crude cargoes to Marsden Point in 2014. Information about consultation with Tangata Whenua, regulatory authorities, community organisations and the general public - including two rounds of public consultation in March 2015 and April 2017 - is detailed in our resource consent application. You can view the resource consent application in the related downloads section above.
Two main areas would be dredged – the majority (80%) in the outer shipping channel, with the remainder around the refinery jetties and turning basin (where ships turn as they depart). These two areas are shown on a map here. Some smaller-scale dredging may be required in other parts of the channel.
The depth will depend on the location. We expect to dredge up to four metres in the outer and inner shipping channels, and up to eight metres in targeted spots around the refinery jetties. The depth of dredging is shown on a map here
It’s expected that around 3.7 million cubic metres (m3) of sand would be dredged. To put that in context with dredging plans at other New Zealand ports, Port of Tauranga has consent for 15 million m3, and Port Otago for 7.2 million m3.
We expect the dredging to take up to six months to complete. Exactly how long will depend on the size of the dredge that is used.
Most of the dredged material would be relocated to the seabed at a depth of 45 metres south east of Whangarei Harbour. Some of the dredged material would be deposited closer to shore, at depths of up to 15 metres, to replenish sand that has been lost from the ebb tide delta.
Some could be deposited onshore to replenish beach sand or for reclamation. We are currently working through options for land disposal.
The seabed sites have been chosen because of a number of economic and environmental considerations – including impact on the seafloor, matching of sediments with those to be dredged, and in order to minimise any impact on flora and fauna (birds and marine life).
For the majority of the dredging it’s likely that a small to medium Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger would be used. For dredging at the refinery jetty it’s likely that a Backhoe Dredger would be used.
If approved, dredging works could be underway in 2019 at the earliest.
A small amount of maintenance dredging is expected, particularly in the first few years as the slopes on the sides of the channel settle.
All ship movements (crude and otherwise) are governed by a range of port and harbour safety requirements which are the responsibility of Northland Regional Council, the Harbourmaster, Northport and Maritime NZ.
Every crude ship must have a minimum safe clearance underneath its keel be approved to enter the harbour. At Whangarei, a Dynamic Under Keel Clearance system gathers up-to-the-minute information on wave and weather conditions on the harbour to determine whether it is safe for a ship to enter.
As part of the resource consent process, Refining NZ has commissioned an independent navigation risk assessment, which shows that the new channel design improves safety for crude ships accessing the refinery.
No, Suezmax vessels already visit the refinery. However, those vessels currently arrive slightly under-loaded. This proposal is intended to allow those vessels to bring full loads of crude oil.
No – there will be fewer crude ships overall. The refinery will receive the same amount of crude oil for processing, it will just arrive at Marsden point in bigger sized “parcels”.
The overall risk is significantly reduced by improving the channel alignment and by fewer ship movements overall.
There are measures in place to prevent a major spill occurring in the first place.
Crude ship operators are required to follow stringent safety standards. Ships are double hulled for extra protection, and the cargo is held in compartments so that damage in one part of the hull does not impact the full load.
Hoses and pipes for transporting crude are regularly maintained and tested, and have emergency shut-off valves to stop crude being discharged at the refinery’s jetty.
In the event of a harbour spill the refinery marine team has access to oil recovery and containment equipment and is able to respond quickly. Backup is provided by the refinery’s emergency services team, trained refinery volunteers and where required, the Northland Regional Council oil response team. Maritime NZ would provide further support in a major spill.
Our oil spill response is tested by regular exercises with the Northland Regional Council and Maritime NZ oil response teams.
The refinery is aware of these areas of special interest and for that reason is proposing a channel design option that avoids impacting ecologically sensitive, important landscape or natural character areas.
Extensive field work and hydrodynamic modelling by the independent experts has concluded that the proposed changes will have very little effect on existing coastal processes (waves and tides), and around Mair Bank and in the ebb tide shoal, no discernible effects are expected.
In addition we are proposing real time monitoring to ensure there is no impact on key rocky shore habitats, including the marine reserve and Home Point.
The refinery is proposing a series of measures to mitigate any potential effects. Measures include:
There are two alternatives:
Either option would require the use of a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) which carries twice the cargo of a fully loaded Suezmax – and would require much more storage capacity at the refinery.
An assessment of alternatives has been carried out as part of a series of expert studies and can be found here.