Fonterra’s Energy Efficiency Efforts Earn Awards

Media Release
05 November 2007

Fonterra’s Energy Efficiency Efforts Earn Awards

Fonterra’s energy efficiency drive has seen the company collect two awards at the 2007 EECA EnergyWise Awards.

Fonterra picked up the Contact Energy Management Award for its Energy Project Management Team’s successful efforts in cutting the company’s energy consumption by 10 per cent.

Led by Fonterra’s Energy Efficiency Project Manager Doug Watson, the team worked with the company’s manufacturing sites to achieve an annual energy saving of around 1.8 peta joules (PJ) – which equates to the annual electricity consumption of a city the size of Hamilton, as well as 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

“It was great to see the combined efforts of our energy project management group and our manufacturing site staff recognised at the Awards, particularly given the important contribution the project is making towards ensuring the business is environmentally and economically sustainable,” says Brent Taylor, Fonterra’s General Manager of New Zealand Manufacturing.

“Not only does this project represent the big steps we are taking to reduce the environmental impacts of our manufacturing operations, but with energy our second highest cost after wages, it also makes good business sense.”

EECA judges commended the project team on its commitment to meeting and exceeding its targets.

“The team showed a good focus not only on energy efficiency measures, but also on investigating opportunities for using renewable forms of energy, where available. Their success is testament to the commitment of operations staff, the support of management, and good leadership.”

Fonterra also received the Transpower Project Innovation Award for its Whareroa site’s heat recovery project, which sees product streams previously heated by steam and cooled by cooling/chilled water now indirectly cooled and heated by each other.

“Our Energy Lead Technologist Stacey Fellows and her project team are always looking for new ways of doing things. They are committed to continuous improvement and this has shown through in the development of the heat recovery technology,” says Brent.

“Improved operational practices driven by dedicated staff have been key to the early success of our energy efficiency programme, and will ensure we continue to make significant gains in this area.”

Brent says Fonterra is looking to increase its carbon dioxide emissions savings to 230,000 tonnes per annum by the 2008/9 season – a further improvement in energy intensity (energy per unit of production) of nearly 6 per cent.

About Fonterra
- Fonterra is the world’s largest dairy exporter and the fifth largest dairy company in the world, with annual turnover of NZ$14 billion.
- As New Zealand’s largest and truly multinational business, Fonterra trades in 140 countries.
- Our portfolio includes dairy ingredients, liquid and powdered milks, cultured foods and yoghurts, butter, cheese and specialty foodservices products.
- Our brands include Anchor, Anlene, Anmum, Fresh n’ Fruity, Mainland, Peters & Brownes, Tip Top, Chesdale and Bega.

© Scoop Media