For Genesis Energy’s Chief Executive Marc England, a crucial component to committing to action on climate change is to have clear direction from the outset.

“It’s really important to us at Genesis that there are plans to back up and deliver on our commitments, and that those plans are in place before commitments are made,” says Mr England.

Ambitious plans are what the team at Genesis is working to achieve, as the company continues to increase its emissions reductions and fulfil its purpose of empowering New Zealand’s sustainable future. 

Renewable generation

Around two years ago Genesis seeded what it now calls the Future-gen programme, aiming to displace 2650GWh of baseload thermal generation with new renewable power by 2030.

The programme also supports the company’s commitment to reduce its carbon emissions from electricity generation by 36%, which would see 1.2 million tonnes of carbon emissions removed by 2025 (from a 2020 base year).

In 2021 the programme reached a key milestone with the opening of the Waipipi wind farm in South Taranaki, generating 100% renewable, zero-emissions electricity for the national grid. Once operating at full capacity, Waipipi’s 31 wind-turbines will generate 133.3 megawatts and produce around 455GWh per year – enough to power about 65,000 homes, double the number in New Plymouth.

“Signing the deal with our partner Tilt and building the Waipipi wind farm was a really important milestone for us - it was a proof point for the market that we meant what we said we were going to do.”

“Equally as important to the plan are structures we wrap around it, such as our Science Based Targets and our recently signed Sustainability Linked Loan with Westpac. They are what give us the framework and backbone to deliver our targets.” 

The future of Huntly

As Genesis continues to work to realise its vision and purpose, the company is also focused on transitioning Huntly to a lower-carbon future.

The team plans to run a biomass trial this year to see if it can replace coal with a more sustainable fuel source.

“We’re going to see a massive reduction in coal consumption in the next few years, but the challenge is how we remove it altogether and which technologies will enable that. That means doing things carefully and thoughtfully, because ultimately sustainability is about doing business in a way that is enduring,” says Mr England.

Walking the talk

In addition to its work reducing emissions in the electricity sector, Genesis has also walked the talk as a company in empowering New Zealand’s sustainable future.

Internally that included moving its head office to a 6 Green Star building, and doing away with company cars and carparks. Many employees now bike to work, or utilise the company’s 25% subsidy of public transport. Genesis is also part-owner of the EV car-share service Zilch, and staff use Zilch cars when they need to travel for meetings.