Clean Technology Intern for Otaki
Om Dolasia, a postgraduate student from Western Australia, will be arriving in New Zealand and coming to work in Otaki from mid-July on a range of projects. The intern programme links up young people prepared to provide their skills and labour for free in return for being able to work on interesting and relevant projects. Thanks to the networks of Otaki’s Stuart Pritchard, who takes a strong interest in developing Otaki’s clean technology base, Om will be working in Otaki for nine months. The programme and projects will be managed in a three-way partnership between Stuart’s New Zealand Central Technology Park, the Otaki Clean Technology Centre and Energise Otaki. Nice one, Stuart.
Otaki College Bike Project takes another step forward
A partnership between Otaki College teachers Lynne Walker and Chris Georgetti, Energise Otaki and members of the Otaki MenzShed, is coming together to develop another innovative project around energy and education. A small number of students (with the idea of growing the numbers in the future) will learn how to restore old bikes and make them available to students and, as a second stage, members of the community, for use around the town. Otaki is fortunate in having a specialist bike business, Kapiti Cycles, where equipment, parts and advice will also be sourced. The idea is to encourage people to take up cycling around the town, while also giving students with an interest in practical projects and the opportunity to earn NCEA credits. The students will design the branding for the project. Funding from the 2014 World Wildlife Fund award to Energise Otaki will be used to support the project.
Kiwirail are trialling Blended Fuel Solutions on the Arahura
Blended Fuel’s innovative Fuel Oil Emulsion that has already been successfully implemented on local buses and has provided Otaki College students with good science training. Their emulsion burns more completely than unmodified fuel, resulting in lower emissions and cooler-running engines.
Leigh Ramsey, Managing Director of Blended Fuel Solutions NZ, says “KiwiRail/Interislander are a large liquid fuel user so it makes very good sense for it to be investigating these kinds of technologies.”