LCAs tackle false narratives
The quest to measure, report and make sense of the energy that goes into food production has come a long way in the past 25 years.
Fonterra is installing a $36 million 20-megawatt electrode boiler at its Edendale site in Southland, as the co-op moves away from coal.
The electrode boiler will reduce the Edendale site's emissions by around 20% or 47,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per annum - the equivalent of taking almost 20,000 cars off NZ roads.
It will also help reduce Fonterra's overall carbon emissions from its NZ 2018 baseline by nearly 3% per annum once operational in 2025-26.
Fonterra says the investment is another step for the co-operative as it works to get out of coal by 2037 and reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 (from 2018 baseline).
Fonterra acting chief operating officer Anna Palairet says the team considered a number of energy options before deciding on the electrode boiler.
"Fonterra has a complex manufacturing operation spanning the country.
"As technologies develop, it's important we continually assess which energy source and technology is best for each site.
"With up to 15 million litres of milk being processed at our Edendale site each day, we need to ensure we have a secure energy supply that can meet processing demands."
Cost is also an important consideration.
Palairet says getting out of coal requires significant investment and the co-op needs to choose the best option that reduces emissions and operational complexity while also doing what's best for farmer shareholders.
Fonterra is partnering with Meridian Energy for the electricity supply who generate electricity from 100% renewable resources - wind, water, and sun.
The quest to measure, report and make sense of the energy that goes into food production has come a long way in the past 25 years.
Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of a major software project.
Driving down Broadlands Road, northeast of Taupo there's a cluster of 19 Pāmu dairy farms around what is known as the Wairakei Estate.
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) says the Government’s new gene editing and genetic modification reforms could leave New Zealand as an outlier on the global stage.
Weaker milk production in the Northern Hemisphere is keeping dairy prices high.
Fonterra's proposed sale of its global consumer business could fetch over $3 billion but not all proceeds will end up in the pockets of farmer shareholders.
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