"Our" business?
OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ's dairy industry.
Fonterra is set to convert two coal boilers to wood pellets at its Clandeboye site in South Canterbury, a crucial step in Fonterra's commitment to exit coal by 2037.
The $64 million investment will cut the co-operative’s overall emissions by nine per cent with reductions totalling 155,000 tonnes of CO2e each year, the equivalent of removing more than 64,000 cars from New Zealand roads each year.
Fonterra chief operating officer Anna Palairet says the project marks a significant milestone in Fonterra’s sustainability journey as it works towards a 50.4% reduction in absolute Scope 1&2 emissions by 2030, from a 2018 baseline.
"This conversion project at Clandeboye is another demonstration of our Co-op’s commitment to sustainability and climate action and follows successful boiler conversions at our Te Awamutu, and Hautapu sites.
"In making our largest decarbonisation investment to date, we're reducing our environmental impact – while securing operational resilience. This project represents a significant milestone in our journey towards a coal-free future."
Fonterra’s site operations manager – cheese and protein, Conrad Harle echoes this sentiment believing the investment will drive fuel diversity in the South Island by providing the demand signals to establish wood pellet supply chains in the region.
“The move to wood pellets for the Clandeboye site is a great thing for the South Island as it will play a role in diversifying the country’s renewable energy options while strengthening fuel optionality at the site.
“The team at Clandeboye are both proud and excited to play a role in the establishment of these regional supply chains that give added resilience and further options for future decarbonisation investments at our other sites, primarily Darfield, Studholme, Tākaka, and Edendale.”
The conversion is co-funded as part of a previously announced EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) partnership. The partnership agreement includes the Co-op achieving approximately 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 cumulative reductions from its coal reduction activities this decade, enabling the Co-op to lift its 2030 target from a 30% to a 50% absolute reduction by 2030.
EECA chief executive, Dr Marcos Pelenur, says it is encouraging to see Fonterra continue to progress their emissions reduction programme.
“It is a milestone that once again highlights the central role of biofuel in the clean energy space and the use of clever technology in increasing energy efficiency.”
The conversion of the two boilers is scheduled to be completed and operational by September 2025. Plans to transition the site’s remaining boilers onto renewable energy will continue as part of the Co-operative's wider decarbonisation plans.
The site has recently completed another decarbonisation project with the installation of a heat recovery system in its lactose plant back in February 2024. This was the first project co-funded under EECA for the Co-operative focusing on energy efficiency. The new system allows the recovery of high-grade heat from the lactose plant's equipment, saving the site 2.5 tonnes of steam per hour and decreasing annual carbon emissions by around 3,000 tonnes – the equivalent of removing around 1,250 cars from New Zealand roads.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…