SWITCHING ON A LOW EMISSIONS ENERGY FUTURE

Ara Ake was launched as the $27 million National New Energy Development Centre in July this year by prime minister Jacinda Ardern and energy minister Megan Woods.

Ara Ake means ‘a pathway that leads onwards and upwards’ and if the longest journey begins with a single step, the creation of Ara Ake is a significant step on Aotearoa’s journey to a low-emissions energy future.

Dr Cristiano Marantes has been Ara Ake chief executive for just over three months now after leaving Vector and Auckland for New Plymouth and his new role in the Taranaki-based centre.

With its origins coming from Taranaki’s Tapuae Roa Strategy, Ara Ake is funded by the government to work with innovators, academia, industry, investors and the community to accelerate the commercialisation of energy innovation.

Marantes sees it as a “doorway” to the acceleration and the just transition to a low emissions energy future not just in New Zealand but globally – and a possible world leader in the field.

It’s a new direction for the highly experienced energy sector executive, whose path to the top job at Ara Ake includes roles with energy companies in Europe and the United Kingdom, as well as five years at Auckland company Vector – New Zealand’s largest distributor of electricity and gas.

Marantes says he has always been interested in innovation aimed at enhancing long-term social and environmental sustainability – and he thinks his background as an electrical engineer equips him well for his new position.

“We engineers are trained to identify an issue, test hypothetical solutions, and prove a proposition before taking action – and that is how I think Are Ake needs to work,” he says.

Marantes jokes that with his move to Taranaki his career has, in a sense, come full circle.

“My first job after I graduated was as a low-carbon innovation manager – and that’s pretty much how I see my role at Ara Ake; helping New Zealand energy start-ups grow and expand commercially, looking for ways to break down any barriers that might prevent their success, and using data-based evidence to help them refine their ideas – taking it to the world where possible.” Marantes sees Ara Ake not only playing an extremely important role in New Zealand’s energy transition but in the world’s too, linking businesses and others to enable collaboration on the pathway to a low emissions energy future.

“New Zealand is well known for its innovation – and it has at times led the world in low emissions energy, particularly hydro and geothermal, so it could do the same in new technologies and promote a just transition to a low emissions society”, he says.

Many countries are looking at energy transitions by 2050, but Marantes believes the next decade will be the most challenging.

“We need to take action now.”

Marantes says New Zealanders need to work together.

“As a parent, you look at the future your children will have. You want to make sure that you do everything you can to make their world better from an environmental and social perspective.”

Describing Ara Ake as energy agnostic and serving all New Zealanders, Marantes says it has established a partnership with US-based Elemental Excelerator – recognised at the recent UN Global Climate Action Awards – which aims to take any solutions to the world and vice versa.

He points to the 11 “shareholders” now on board with Ara Ake (more to join soon) representing many aspects of the energy industry from gas, bioenergy, wind and geothermal to carbon and energy professionals and research institutes.

“They are not shareholders in the conventional sense – they do not invest money in the hope of getting a return.

“However, their role is similar in a way – they provide us with their intellectual capital and their expertise, and in return they have access to Ara Ake’s collective knowledge and the opportunity to help shape our strategy.”

Marantes walks – or rather drives – the low emissions energy talk. He has a company EV, which he often uses to drive between Taranaki and other key centres like Wellington and Auckland.

“I’ve had it for two months and I usually charge up at home but when driving very long distances I use the publicly available network of rapid chargers for a quick top-up.”

As part of its support for Taranaki, Ara Ake as a sponsor is bringing the EVolocity programme to the region for the first time, whereby students from up to 14 schools will build two or three-wheeled EVs for competition.

The programme in Taranaki includes a partnership with the Western Institute of Technology at Taranaki (WITT).

Taranaki as a base for Ara Ake makes sense with everything there from generation plants and large-scale industrial users to domestic customers and an industry knowledge established over decades, although Are Ake’s role and remit goes much further with a national focus for all New Zealanders and a global reach, Marantes explains.

He welcomes collaboration and says Ara Ake has received a great reception from people throughout the industry, recognising a need for what it provides.

“We are focused on achieving the best outcomes for New Zealand.

Ultimately the solutions we put forward will be those that best serve the country, rather than a particular part of the industry or a specific region.

“I feel privileged to lead Ara Ake and to work with incredible people who want make a difference,” he says.

In a few years’ time Marantes believes Ara Ake will have a national and international reputation as an organisation that can bridge the gap between innovation and commercialisation, providing independent advice and world-leading solutions for global energy problems.