N E W S - I N D U S T R Y M A T T E R S
NZ risks falling
behind on clean
energy
The shift to clean energy is
happening faster than predicted,
and New Zealand should do more
than just keep up, says energy
leader Michael Liebreich.
The founder of Bloomberg New
Energy Finance and an international
leader in energy systems
modelling is taking part in New
Zealand briefings organised by
Z Energy on emerging industry
trends.
He told the BusinessNZ Young
Energy Professionals Network
that the uptake of wind and solar
technology was increasing faster
than predicted by most in the
energy sector, and New Zealand’s
leading industries would need to
switch to clean energy as soon
as possible.
"If you’re selling bulk commodities
like milk powder, there will be
other countries processing it with
clean energy a lot cheaper. This
change is coming," Mr Liebreich
said.
He warned if New Zealand
industries failed to keep up with
the move to renewable energy,
they would lose competitiveness
to countries that are front-footing
the shift.
Young Energy Professional
Network chair Harsharan Singh
said renewable energy pricing
was already lower than non-renewables
for some industrial
uses.
The cost of implementing
renewable generation such as
wind farms was cheaper than
implementing non-renewable
generation such as coal or
gas-fired power plant, Mr Singh
said. New civil engineering appointment
16 July 2019
Keenan ‘green machine’ is first environmentally
sustainable diet feeder in the world
Irish-based machinery brand, Keenan,
has been certified as a more sustainable
diet feeder, proven to reduce methane
Engineers respond internationally with solutions for meat sector
emissions on-farm. As a company,
Keenan has long been synonymous with
engineering cutting-edge diet feeders,
which produce a unique homogeneous
mix that optimises rumen health and ensures
consistent animal performance.
“In light of the government’s announcement
regarding The Climate Action Plan,
which aims to push Ireland to reach its
2030 targets, and to achieve net zero
carbon emissions by 2050, Keenan are
delighted to offer farmers a tangible
means of reducing their carbon footprint
on-farm, while enhancing production
and profitability”, said Matt Higgins,
General Manager, Keenan.
The Carbon Trust has verified that reduced
methane output linked to enhanced
rumen performance (per litre
milk and daily liveweight gain in beef animals)
can come as a result of improved
feed conversion efficiency (FCE) in livestock.
Having investigated the output
from the diet feeder and reviewing data
from the controller, the Carbon Trust
has established that the machine can
increase rumen efficiency by delivering
feed that is more easily digestible for
cattle, meaning less energy is required
and produced by each animal.
The unique engineering features and
mixing action of a diet feeder make it
synonymous with mix quality. Mix quality
is the sum of many parts, including
chop type and length as well as fiber
type, presentation and most importantly,
consistency. Optimized diet formulation
relies heavily on the physical
mix that is delivered to the animals; this
mix needs to be delivered consistently
every day in order for farms to achieve
their production goals while enhancing
the efficient use of their feed.
“The animal food supply chain is faced
with growing pressures to reduce methane
and carbon dioxide emissions. As
concern for our planet’s finite resources
escalates, we have a responsibility to
be proactive in sourcing solutions and
partnerships that can relieve environmental
strain and prioritize sustainability
on-farm,” said Higgins.
The Carbon Trust report cited that improving
herd performance through improved
FCE is expected to reduce methane
production. KEENAN estimates this
can lead to as much as 25 percent less
methane when a below average herd receives
rations from the diet feeder and
the controller.
“The Carbon Trust accreditation is a
powerful endorsement, which enables
us to further help farmers reduce their
on-farm carbon footprint, while increasing
their profitability,” said Higgins.
Keenan has been a member of the Alltech
family of companies since April
2016. Alltech has always been deeply
rooted in their sustainability efforts and
continue to strengthen their commitment
to the animal, environment and
consumer, with their Planet of Plenty
initiative.
“With the adoption of new technologies
and management practices, and, most
of all, human ingenuity, we believe a
Planet of Plenty is possible,” says Mark
Lyons, president and ceo of Alltech.
“Our Planet of Plenty vision propels our
founding ACE principle into a new world
of possibility, where anyone and everyone
can make a positive impact on our
shared planet.”
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A highly skilled international engineer
and project manager has been appointed
to team leader of civil engineering at
the Wellington office of Harrison Grierson.
Karen-Ann Venter joins Harrison Grierson
direct from Pretoria in South Africa,
where she has been an independent
consultant for the last 10 years.
Her 26-year career includes extensive
experience in the national road and
transport sector, most recently consulting
on the development and implementation
of strategic partnerships and projects
on the N3 and N1 National Routes
supporting the road freight and transport
industry. She was also involved with developing
and implementing a strategic pilot
project to support safety and security
on the N3 National Route through technology,
compliance and training. Previously,
Karen-Ann was the design and
build engineer for a national telecommunications
infrastructure project and the
lead engineer for planning and design of
fibre optic communication infrastructure.