The winners of the 2024 New Zealand Energy Excellence Awards were Contact, Counties Energy, Fonterra, Genesis, Hiringa Energy, HWR Hydrogen, Kāinga Ora, Mercury, and Powerco.
The 14th annual awards, held at the Cordis Auckland on Wednesday 28 August, saw over 680 guests celebrate excellence across 10 categories.
Moonis Vegdani – group chief strategy and transformation officer at Counties Energy, was recognised in the Young Energy Professional of the Year Award category for his significant contributions to the EV charging ecosystem, distribution system operator capabilities and delivery of the multi-million Advanced Distribution Management System platform at Counties.
Judges said “Moonis Vegdani demonstrated examples of leadership inside and outside Counties Energy and provided strong character endorsements to support his entry.”
Counties Energy also took out the Innovation in Energy Award with its 'plug n' play' flexible EV charging infrastructure solution using second-life EV batteries to buffer the system.
Refuelling the future
The efforts to transition to more sustainable fuels were recognised across several categories.
Fonterra claimed the Large Energy User Initiative of the Year Award for a second year running, with its Waitoa biomass boiler project displacing a coal boiler, leading to a reduction in annual CO2 emissions of 48,000 tonnes.
Hiringa Energy was celebrated for its efforts thus far in developing a green hydrogen refuelling network to help decarbonise heavy transport, taking away the Low Carbon Future Award.
HWR Hydrogen showcased its leadership in integrating hydrogen with existing diesel engines via its dual-fuel truck programme. HWR’s work on supplying and procuring the skills and technology required to convert trucks secured it the Social Procurement Award, which recognises the positive impact on the procurement process of additional social and/or environmental benefits.
Embracing customers and communities
Demonstrating genuine focus and receiving positive feedback for the products and services delivering our energy future were the hallmarks for other winning organisations.
Powerco took away Energy Distributor of the Year, with its commitment to connecting communities now and in the future to safe, reliable, and resilient electricity and gas.
Energy Retailer of the Year was awarded to Mercury for its transformative Trustpower integration and responsive customer solutions portfolio.
Genesis Energy’s Ngā Ara programme provides rangatahi located around its operating assets with education, training, and employment opportunities, and was a worthy winner of the Community Initiative of the Year Award.
Kāinga Ora stood out in the Energy Project of the Year category with its renewable energy programme and multiple trading trial. Kāinga Ora demonstrated how excess solar generation can be monetised to benefit customers in energy hardship and that it has the potential to scale this up across its property portfolio.
Value of prevention
The outcomes demonstrated by Contact’s life-changing skin health programme are unarguable and wide-ranging. What started as a screening programme for outdoor workers has saved lives by detecting early-stage melanomas among employees and is a worthy winner of the Well-being Award.
The winners:
Innovation in Energy Award – sponsored by Ara Ake
Counties Energy – Reimagining flexible infrastructure using second-life EV batteries
Large Energy User Initiative of the Year – sponsored by EECA
Fonterra – Waitoa biomass boiler project
Low Carbon Future Award – sponsored by Energy Resources Aotearoa
Hiringa Energy – Heavy transport’s biggest decarbonisation network
Energy Project of the Year – sponsored by Energy News
Kāinga Ora – Renewable energy programme and multiple trading trial
Energy Distributor of the Year – sponsored by Axos Systems
Powerco – Connecting communities now and in the future
Energy Retailer of the Year – sponsored by EDMI
Mercury
Community Initiative of the Year – sponsored by Eagle Technology
Genesis – Ngā Ara | Transformational education, training, and employment pathways
Well-being Award – sponsored by nib
Contact – Skin health programme saving lives at Contact
Social Procurement Award – sponsored by BlueFloat Energy and Elemental Group
HWR Hydrogen – Dual-fuel trucks
Young Energy Professional of the Year – sponsored by Phoenix Recycling Group
Moonis Vegdani, Counties Energy
The awards were further supported by Young Energy Professionals Network, ERANZ, GasNZ, New Zealand Wind Energy Association, CEP, MEUG, ENA, Mana Wāhine I Power Women and EEA. Gentrack sponsored the table displays.