Genesis Energy working with small businesses to move away from fossil fuels

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The country’s largest generator of coal and gas-fired electricity is working with small industry players to reduce their carbon emissions.

Genesis Energy has teamed up with the state-owned Green Investment Finance (NZGIF) to fund 50 percent of a heating transition project at an Auckland plant nursery.

Rose grower Van Lier Nurseries expects to save 640 tonnes of emissions each year by switching from a gas-fuelled boiler at its Massey greenhouse to an industrial 1MW heat pump.

Genesis chief transformation and technology officer Ed Hyde said the findings would inform other projects.

“A lot of these projects are relatively complicated so they do take a level of involvement from both the customer side and our side.

“This is why a pilot project has been so interesting because it genuinely is a learning opportunity where we can see how these projects have gone and we can see what the costs of transition are.

“We can see the green and sustainability benefits that they generate.”

Genesis is exploring ways to encourage its customers with high energy needs in the horticulture, meat processing and dairy industries to move away from fossil fuels.