Oil giant appears in new light

By Mark Reynolds

It seems incongruous, but global oil industry giant BP wants to become a leading supplier of solar energy equipment.

The petrol company has spent $300,000 to fit out its new Papakura service station with solar panels, in what it hopes will be a precursor to installing similar equipment at other sites around the country both for itself and other companies.

The 216 panels on the canopies of its Papakura forecourt will supply 10 to 30 per cent of the service station's electricity needs - with the exact amount dependent on how much daylight is available to fuel the cells.

BP New Zealand managing director Greg Larsen said the Papakura pilot site was part of a $200 million programme by BP internationally to "seek solutions to the issue of climate change."

The company wanted to prevent 3500 tonnes a year of carbon dioxide emissions through the opening of 200 "plug in the sun" service stations worldwide within two years.

That would be only a drop in the bucket compared to the toxic emissions from motorcars each year, with New Zealand cars alone producing 3500 tonnes of carbon dioxide every 41/2 hours.

But Mr Larsen said that while the Papakura station was a small beginning, BP was serious about expanding its solar power business. It began developing solar panels 17 years ago, and would use sites such as Papakura to test more efficient and cheaper equipment.

"We believe it has great potential, which is why BP has invested so heavily in the technology," Mr Larsen said.

The panels at Papakura will produce power even on cloudy days. They will fuel the petrol pumps and lights, with excess electricity exported to the national grid during the day and the shortfall imported at night.

Mr Larsen said the project was not a publicity stunt.

"BP is the world's largest manufacturer of solar cells and it makes sense that we should also be one of the world's largest users of the technology."

Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said BP's investment in the environmentally friendly technology was welcome. But she said cutting petrol usage would be more useful.

"We must develop policies to reduce our dependence on cars and to use them more efficiently," she said. "Better land use planning and public transport for Auckland would be a great start."