Packaging manufacturer Orora aims to cut up to 15% of its energy usage from its New Zealand operations.
The initiative, which was launched in Auckland yesterday, involves a three year plan developed by Orora and supported by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
The company hopes to achieve annual energy savings of 11.8 GWh (the equivalent annual energy use of about 1,130 households); and cut annual carbon dioxide by 1,600 tonnes (the annual carbon emissions of about 580 typical NZ cars).
“We have already invested heavily in energy efficiency improvements in our Australian operations, and benchmarking our New Zealand operations against these have shown that there is potential to make significant energy savings in New Zealand too,” Orora Managing Director and CEO Nigel Garrard said at the launch.
He added that the company’s recent experience implementing energy efficiency programs in Australia has demonstrated that in addition to saving on energy costs, other benefits such as increasing output, improving working environments and greater engagement with staff can also be realised.
Orora will invest approximately $2 million towards optimising energy used for compressed air, warehouse lighting, and motorised systems, as well as reducing energy used in process and space heating.
EECA Chief Executive Mike Underhill said a group-wide energy management agreement can help organisations to establish a comprehensive energy management plan that makes energy work harder and smarter for their business.
“Orora will be one of a growing number of New Zealand large companies signed up to group-wide energy management agreement with EECA, and are achieving excellent savings across their operations.”
It is estimated New Zealand firms could collectively save the country $1.6 billion in costs every year through technology upgrades and process-improvement.