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

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