New Zealand-based clean power producer Meridian and local brewery Garage Project have launched Turbine Pale Ale to celebrate certification for renewable electricity supplying the brewery.
The collaboration between Garage Project and Meridian marks the first time a certified renewable energy product has been made available in New Zealand.
Garage Project said it was a “natural choice” to partner with Meridian, which only produces electricity from 100% renewable resources, including from its own Brooklyn turbine in Wellington, where the brewery is based.
Meridian chief marketing officer Michael Healy said: “There has been strong demand for certified renewable energy for some time.
“As New Zealand’s largest renewable energy generator it’s only natural we find ways to make this happen.”
The renewable energy certificate provided by New Zealand Energy Certificate System (NZECS) allows consumers of electricity to purchase certification for the particular type and volume of electricity generation they value.
Though Garage Project’s brewery isn’t directly plugged into Meridian’s Brooklyn turbine, the electricity used is matched on an annual basis with 100% renewable energy generated from the turbine.
Garage Project co-founder Jos Ruffell said the brewery is proud to be the first to use Meridian’s certified renewable energy mark.
“It’s important to set an example and show you can be in business and do your bit for sustainability too. We can brew the beer we love, be sustainable, and celebrate Wellington, the city we love. Turbine Pale Ale is all of these things,” Ruffell said.