|
Being a small country has never held New Zealand back. Around the world it is known for innovation and leadership in many fields, including the development and deployment of renewable energy.
A combination of outstanding renewable energy assets and businesses that are bringing fresh perspectives and creativity to sustainable environmental technologies is positioning New Zealand well to meet worldwide demand for clean technologies.
 Looking after its natural resources and bio-diversity is part of New Zealand's heritage. Around one half of the country is protected in the form of conservation parks and reserves and New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to incorporate sustainability principles into legislation.
As a food producer, New Zealand has a strong focus on its production and farming methods. It is playing a leadership role in global research efforts to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from primary production and, under recent legislation, will be the first country in the world to include agriculture in a domestic emissions trading scheme.
New Zealand has been relying on renewable energy for many decades - in any given week, renewable resources can provide up to 85 per cent of its electricity. That is the result of having abundant water, wind, geothermal and biomass resources and energy companies that have become skilled operators of renewable energy assets.
While hydro resources continue to provide the bulk of New Zealand's electricity, the mix is changing. Located on the earth's volcanic 'ring of fire', New Zealand has a significant geothermal resource and has been at the forefront of geothermal energy development for many decades. Today, there is a resurgence of interest and investment in geothermal power with more construction underway in New Zealand than probably anywhere else in the world.
 New Zealand lies in the path of prevailing westerly winds in an area long referred to by sailors as the 'Roaring Forties'. These winds occur at around 40 degrees latitude and can be extremely strong, resulting in an exceptional resource for wind energy. The country already has nine working wind farms with many more being developed or planned.
Other renewable energy assets include a strong forestry industry - wood provides about five per cent of New Zealand's total energy supply- large quantities of biological waste for conversion to energy solutions, and a world-class resource for marine energy generation. On the south-west facing coasts of New Zealand, for example, average wave power can exceed 100 kilowatts per meter of wave front.
Exporting knowledge
New Zealand is building on its legacy of leadership in renewable energy, with government research agency GNS Science, for example, continuing a 50-year track record of researching the sustainable development of geothermal energy. The agency provides research services, expertise and consulting advice to decision makers globally.
 Another government supported facility, the Institute of Earth Science and Engineering, is developing techniques for visualizing what is under the earth's surface, particularly in geothermal resources. It is working with other countries, including Chile, to explore their potential for geothermal development. New Zealand also has deep capability in developing geothermal resources within companies such as SKM, which has been used to develop more than 100 geothermal resources in over 20 countries.
Major New Zealand energy companies like Meridian and Mighty River Power have decades of experience in deploying renewable energy and know how to optimise resources for best results. They are increasingly working globally - Mighty River Power, for example, has projects underway in North America, where it is partnering with GeoGlobal Energy (GGE) to build a geothermal power station in southern California, and South America, where it is also working with GGE to pursue geothermal opportunities in Chile. Meridian Energy has commissioned its first solar power plant in California and connected it to the local grid.
Energy efficiency is another area where New Zealand has know-how to offer. Specialist technology companies are developing light, high performance and fuel efficient engines with some, like Wellington Drive Technologies already selling its energy-efficient motors for refrigerators, cold storage cases and cool rooms internationally. About 600,000 of the company's motors are installed in Mexico.
Other New Zealand companies work in the field of transportation efficiency, such as Cavotec which offers services such as automated ship monitoring systems that reduce the time large boats spend docked at port with motors running, through to vehicle charging technologies.
New transport solutions
Given its high percentage of renewable electricity generation, New Zealand is a potential early adopter in the use of electric vehicles. Since 1949, the capital city, Wellington, has run a unique electric trolleybus network, drawing on electricity largely sourced from renewable sources. Other cities are following suit, supported by a cluster of companies with growing capability in this area.
DesignLine International is producing turbine hybrid buses in which the internal combustion engine is replaced with a spinning turbine that recharges a lithium-ion battery. The technology is being piloted in New York City.
Also gaining international attention is Induction Power Transfer (IPT) technology developed at The University of Auckland which offers a way of transferring electrical power without wires or connections. It is being used around the world in applications ranging from motor drives for conveyer belt systems for clean rooms and automotive assembly plants to automated guided vehicles and battery charging systems for buses. Installing IPT infrastructure in places like public or supermarket car parks has potential to make the widespread use of electrical vehicles feasible in large urban areas.
 Another area where New Zealand companies are applying their skills in smart design is coming up with new solutions for the treatment and re-use of sewage, wastewater and solid waste, as well as remedial treatments and services. One example is Flotech which is selling pioneering technology that converts urban waste into vehicle fuel or pipeline gas. Flotech has designed, manufactured and installed the largest biogas upgrading plants in the world in Spain and Germany. Another example is Waste Solutions which is a world leader in wastewater treatment and waste-to-energy solutions using enhanced, natural processes like anaerobic digestion.
In the development of biofuels, New Zealand's advantages include its deep science capability and an ability to grow biomass efficiently. New Zealand has a sophisticated and responsive science system and prides itself on a culture of innovation. Biofuels is one area where New Zealand scientists are forging ahead, with research being carried out into methods to make biofuel from wild algae and from New Zealand's forest plantation and grass stocks. The world's largest wastewater algae-to-bio-crude-oil demonstration project is taking place in New Zealand. One innovative company in this area is Lanzatech which is developing technology that converts industrial flue gas waste from steel mills into bio-ethanol.
Partnering in the green revolution
 Partnership is central to New Zealand's drive to develop clean technologies. That includes partnering to take innovative New Zealand technologies to the world and helping others develop their renewable energy resources. New Zealand excels at smart thinking, particularly in the development of smaller scale, pragmatic solutions and technologies that use energy and water more efficiently. New Zealand is also an attractive partner in third markets - New Zealanders are good at deploying technologies in other places and are practical and able to work alongside locals, adapting solutions for different conditions.
Through the Free Trade Agreement signed in 2005, New Zealand is already working with Chile on clean technology developments and earlier this year (2010) formalised a partnership with Mexico to cooperate in the field of renewable energy. This is expected to lead to exchanges between New Zealand and Mexican organisations and businesses focused on energy efficiency and between energy and climate change researchers in the two countries.
To find out more about energy efficiency and cleantech in New Zealand visit:
www.nzcleanenergycentre.co.nz
www.nzte.govt.nz
www.eeca.govt.nz
www.nzgeothermal.org.nz
www.windenergy.org.nz
www.awatea.org.nz
www.bioenergy.org.nz
|
