Lesson plan

Solid Energy

Solid Energy was 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 state owned enterprise called Coal Corporation in 1987 (known as Coalcorp), and renamed Solid Energy New Zealand Limited in 1997. In 2015, it had a turnover of NZ$369.8 million and produced 2.8 million tonnes of coal. The company mined extensively in New Zealand's Waikato and the West Coast regions. Approximately half the coal mined was exported, as it was high value with little moisture, sulphur, or other impurities. Much of this was to China, India and Japan where it was used in the power generation and coke industries and for the manufacture of steel and other metals. Major domestic users included the Huntly Power Station and New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook. Solid Energy went into voluntary administration in August 2015. On 31 October 2016 it was announced that the company's assets had been sold to three separate buyers. On 16 March 2018 the company was put into liquidation.

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Article summary

Solid Energy was 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 state owned enterprise called Coal Corporation in 1987 (known as Coalcorp), and renamed Solid Energy New Zealand Limited in 1997. In 2015, it had a turnover of NZ$369.8 million and produced 2.8 million tonnes of coal. The company mined extensively in New Zealand's Waikato and the West Coast regions. Approximately half the coal mined was exported, as it was high value with little moisture, sulphur, or other impurities. Much of this was to China, India and Japan where it was used in the power generation and coke industries and for the manufacture of steel and other metals. Major domestic users included the Huntly Power Station and New Zealand Steel at Glenbrook. Solid Energy went into voluntary administration in August 2015. On 31 October 2016 it was announced that the company's assets had been sold to three separate buyers. On 16 March 2018 the company was put into liquidation.

Key claims

  1. date of establishment: 1987 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  2. employees: 235 employees — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95
  3. release date: 2011 — source: Wikipedia · confidence 0.95

Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. The record states that the date of establishment is "1987". What evidence would count against this claim?
  3. The record states that the employees is "235 employees". What evidence would count against this claim?
  4. The record states that the release date is "2011". What evidence would count against this claim?
  5. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  6. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

Bibliography

  1. Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=1359501936

Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.