Kiwi ingenuity behind new biodiesel plant

A South Auckland biodiesel plant due to open this month will recycle tallow sourced from meatworks into eco-friendly fuel.

The factory in Wiri will produce 20 million litres of fuel a year from the converted fat.

Z Energy bought the technology from scientist Gary Brockett's company Ecodiesel in 2010. After five years of re-engineering to ensure its efficiency, the plant is ready for production.

Mr Brockett said he designed and built the plant by taking technologies available in the US and Europe and updating them for the New Zealand market. Biodiesel plants designed overseas would not be viable for use in such a small economy.

“It’s not so much about saying can you make biodiesel from fats or oils, that technology is well proven, but can you design a plant that can be built at small scale economically.”

The plant was the first of its kind built without a government grant or subsidy, said Z corporate communications and investor relations manager Jonathan Hill.

Mr Hill said as a local, independent fuel company Z does not drill for oil. Z’s need to be environmentally conscious contributed to the decision to open the plant.

“We, as a company, believe the science of climate change. And given that we don’t have any interest in getting fossil fuels out of the ground, we want to be a part of a solution to climate change, rather than part of the problem.

“Our customers have been telling us for a long time now that they want to be using more sustainable and renewable alternatives to petrol and diesel.”

The biodiesel will be blended into Z’s existing diesel to make up five per cent of its total sales.

The company has predicted an approximate 1-2cent price increase per litre of diesel at the pump, dependent on the cost of crude oil at the time of launch.

Many of Z’s commercial partners, including Fonterra, are sponsoring the project.

The commercial partners will have access to a different diesel product containing a higher proportion of biofuel.