Media releases

  • Bioenergy Association welcomes Z energy as gold member (April 2016) -  Brian Cox, executive officer of Bioenergy Association, said Z was currently putting the finishing touches on the most significant biofuel production facility ever seen in New Zealand and he welcomed Z’s strong support for the Association.  “Z’s $26 million biodiesel plant at Wiri will start producing up to 20 million litres of B100 biodiesel from June of this year. Initially starting to supply the Auckland / Waikato / Bay of Plenty regions, this plant will start to give diesel motorists the choice to use a more sustainable transport fuel.” Read full statement.
  • Higher oil price needed for viable biofuels: The price of oil would have to reach USD $250 per barrel before biofuel becomes an economically viable option, Gull Petroleum general manager Dave Bodger says. Bodger was speaking yesterday as part of a leaders' panel on next generation biofuels. He was joined by Patrick Hartley, research director of oil and fuels at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia. Read Energy News article.
  • Biodiesel niche:  Tankers loaded with discarded lolly oil rumble through a small King Country town before leaving with biodiesel fuelling eco-tourist boats and a multi-national petroleum company.  Te Kuit's Environ Fuels is the largest private biodiesel product in NZ and in true Kiwi fashion, owner Warren Holden started the business in his garage.  Read Waikato Times article.
  • Air New Zealand first biofuel test flight: Air New Zealand flew one of the aviation industry’s first biofuel test flights back in 2008, using a jatropha-derived second generation biofuel, which proved the technical feasibility of using alternative fuels. The test flight also provided supporting data to the subsequent (ASTM) certification of plant based biofuels for commercial airline operations.mm . Read article
  • Air New Zealand commits to biofuels:  The Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) has congratulated Air New Zealand on its recent biofuels test flight and urges other transport fuel users to follow their lead. However BANZ says they should seek out supplies of sustainably grown fuels that are readily available in New Zealand. BANZ says that the high profile use of biofuels by the national airline is a great boost to the sector and gives credibility to the ‘clean green’ image that New Zealand sells overseas.  Read Scoop article
  • Biodiesel refuelling facility first in NZ: New Zealand's first biodiesel refuelling facility will be launched in Queenstown next week.  The consortium has been set up by the Otago Polytechnic's Centre for Sustainable Practice, with funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's biodiesel grant scheme.  Read Otago daily Times article.
  • Queenstown biodiesel station opens: New Zealand's firt biodiesel refuelling facility was launched in Queenstown yesterday. The Queenstown Lakes Biodiesel Consortium is the first of its kind in New Zealand and provides access to a supply of B20 blended biodiesel for commercial vehicles.  Read Otago Daily Times  article.
  • Ethanol: The New Zealand biofuels sales obligation requires all petrol and diesel sales in this country to include a 0.53 per cent biofuel component.  This equates to roughly 35 million litres of biofuel, or one petajoule of energy per year.  The original obligation was to rise to 3.4 per cent by 2012, committing the country to roughly 220 million litres, or seven petajoules of energy per year.  Read article.