The release of proposals by Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a mandate for sustainable liquid biofuels in New Zealand, has been welcomed by the bioenergy sector.
The proposal for a sustainable transport biofuels mandate will provide the incentive for increased production of liquid biofuels such as renewable diesel and bioethanol. The Government has released its proposals for consultation.
Bioenergy Association chief executive Brain Cox says “the biofuels mandate will encourage investors to build biorefineries and use the large amounts of biomass and organic waste which we currently landfill or leave in the forest”.
“These resources currently being wasted are valuable for replacing fossil fuels and have the added advantgae of creating new business and employment opportunities.”
Cox says that “because biofuels use residual or waste resources then their utilisation should be better supported by the Government’s waste and land use strategy”.
“Internationally the biofuel technologies are being used to produce low emissions transport fuels but there has been little interest in New Zealand because of the small scale of our market.
“We need encouragement such as will be provided by the mandate to encourage the investors to come here.”
Cox says that “drop-in biofuels such as renewable diesel have a huge advantage for transport operators because the fuel can be used in existing engines so owners do not have to throw away their good existing vehicles, and buy new ones”.
“They just use the fuel in their existing vehicle. Renewable diesel is also ideal for South Island rail which can’t be electrified, as by importing drop in renewable diesel we could have replaced fossil fuels in rail within a few weeks.
“Electrification of rail is only applicable in the North Island. Biofuels will be needed for the South Island,” he says.
