Thursday, I April 2004
Media Statement
Award winners highlight value of energy efficiency
The winners of last night’s EnergyWise Awards show that energy efficiency and conservation makes good business sense as
well as helping New Zealand meet its energy needs, says Energy Minister Pete Hodgson.
"Here are some of New Zealand's largest companies looking closely at their operations and finding huge savings that
increase profits. This is a winner for the companies concerned as well as a check on demand for costly new energy
resources."
The Supreme Award and Sustained Achievement Award went to Carter Holt Harvey’s Kinleith pulp and paper mill. Improved
energy efficiency has been a feature of the mill’s operations over the past five years, with electricity use per tonne
of air dried product reducing by 17% and gas use by 34%.
Fonterra, the winner of the NZ Steel Industrial/Manufacturing Award, is working towards savings of 10%, showing that
even the most technically complex processes can become more energy efficient.
Pan Pac Forest Products, the Meridian Renewable Energy Award joint winner, solved two problems at once when it invested
in a new boiler fuelled by waste wood. Besides saving on gas consumption it is cutting waste management costs by
reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill. Pan Pac also announced last night it that was working towards the
addition of 13 megawatts of new electricity generation to its plant next year.
The Auckland Zoo showed that large industrial energy users are not the only ones that can make savings, winning the WEL
Networks Public Sector Award for cutting electricity consumption by 34% in just two years. "Improving energy efficiency
and conservation is an essential part of managing our future energy needs," Mr Hodgson said. "The companies recognized
last night are showing that we can improve our energy management significantly when we set out to do so. They are
helping to make energy efficiency and conservation mainstream – and they are profiting as a result."
ENDS