Technology is the answer

11 August 2006

Technology is a key solution for reducing energy costs in energy intensive businesses and government grants are making it easier for businesses to access these technologies said Heather Staley, Chief Executive of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

EECA’s Energy Intensive Businesses programme has cash grants available for projects which demonstrate technologies that have already proven to increase energy efficiency, but are not yet common place.

Ms Staley says the upfront costs of energy saving technologies can be expensive, even though the projects have rates of return that are well above the cost of capital. EECA’s programme provides additional funding to make the decisions to invest easier.

Six grants have been issued to date, to energy intensive businesses prepared to lead in their industry by implementing new technologies.

One of the grant recipients, Northern Trawling Company Ltd, will replace standard trawling equipment with new light-weight, low drag trawl gear that will result in their trawlers operating with greater fuel efficiency.

The six grant recipients collectively will reduce their CO2 emissions by an estimated 2,300 tonnes a year, the equivalent to taking 660 cars off the road each year.

The Energy Intensive Businesses programme focuses on reducing CO2 emissions by improving energy efficiency. Energy intensity is the amount of energy used in producing a given level of output or activity. The technologies the programme supports are designed to reduce the amount of energy an organisation uses in its normal operation.

‘One of EECA’s key objectives is to support the uptake of energy efficient initiatives by helping businesses get more from their energy dollar’, says Ms Staley.

Recipients of the grants will share their findings through case studies with other industry participants.

The Energy Intensive Businesses programme targets businesses from the following sectors: wood processing, food and beverage processing, basic metals, heavy transport fleets, non-metallic products, glasshouse crops, fishing fleet operation, irrigated dairying and irrigated arable crops.

EECA welcomes applications for funding.

ENDS

Contact: Liz Wilson, Advisor Marketing, 027 244 7811 or Russell Baillie, Energy Intensive Businesses Programme Manager, 09 374 3801.

Appendix

The successful applicants for grants include:

• Canterbury Laundry Services (Christchurch)
  Two new high efficiency gas fired industrial clothes dryers with air to air heat recovery units will replace two old steam heated dryers.
  Contact – Rod Fisher, 03 338 2039
• Talbot Plastics Ltd (Christchurch)
  A new all-electric servo motor drive moulding machine will replace an old 80 tonne hydraulically driven plastic moulding machine.
  Contact – Steve Wilson, 03 338 9084
• Tegel Foods Ltd (New Plymouth)
  A combined heat recovery system that recovers waste heat from the ammonia refrigeration system and the compressed air system will be put in place.
  Contact – Grant Wing, IC&A Ltd, 09 411 7374
• Sealord Group Ltd (Nelson)
  This project will trial the use of synthetic towing cables on a factory trawler in lieu of heavy weight steel wire.
  Contact – Annette Garcia, 03 545 9557
• RMD Marine Ltd (Tauranga)
  New light weight trawl gear with lower drag through water will replace standard trawling equipment.
  Contact – Roger Rawlinson, 07 576 8137
• Northern Trawling Co Ltd (Auckland)
  New light weight trawl gear with lower drag through water will replace standard trawling equipment.
  Contact – Sean Walker, 09 431 5751