Welcome to the BANZ Website

The Association

Who are BANZ?

Veins on a leafThe Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) has been established to promote and coordinate the development of a bioenergy industry in New Zealand. BANZ provides a central focus point for liaison with Government agencies, the dissemination of information amongst the industry and long-term positioning of bioenergy into New Zealand's energy system.

Members include anyone with a commercial interest in bioenergy - wood processors, foresters, energy suppliers, energy researchers, consultants, manufacturers and investors. Activities are focused around wood energy, biogas and liquid biofuels.

What's New

Development of a NZ Bioenergy Strategy:

The Bioenergy Options project led by Scion has produced a wealth of information about the bioenergy opportunities in NZ and has identified that NZ could be fully self sustaining in transport fuels from bioenergy. This work has been used as a base for development of a "picture of the bioenergy opportunities" and a draft strategy. These are to be discussed at a workshop to be convened by BANZ and the NZ Forest Owners Association in Wellington on the 9th February 2010. Programme details here.

Key to the development of a strategy that can be used by investors, land owners, foresters, territorial authorities, researchers and government agencies is am agreement on the priority activities and development of a consistent approach that builds on the existing sector activities in wood energy, biogas and transport biofuels. 8.5% of total NZ consumer energy is already produced from bioenergy sources so it is not an insubstantial industry. It is now time to develop a strategy for growing that further.

The meeting on the 9th February will hear from the Bioenergy Options researchers and then focus on the way forward. It is a workshop for contributions from all attendees and not a talking heads conference. If you want to be up-to-date on the opportunities influencing the bioenergy strategy you should attend. (Registration forms here - (word) and (pdf).

The development of a consistent strategy is essential if we are to align opportunities, investors, researchers and government policies.

Biodiesel Grant Scheme:

  • Biodiesel Grant Scheme is a success - following Labour's recent criticism of the Biodiesel Grant Scheme, Brian Cox, Executive Officer of the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) has maintained that the current biodiesel assistance scheme is producing benefits and giving confidence to the emerging biodiesel industry, (30 November 2009). Click here to download
  • On 19th May the New Zealand Government announced the introduction of the Biodiesel GRANT Scheme.
    Further details about the Scheme are available here

Wood Energy Demonstration Project Funding:

  • Business grants are available for demonstration projects relating to the use of wood as an energy source up to 40% of the capital cost of the project, with a minimum of $10,000 and maximum of $200,000. For details click here

Wood Energy Feasibility Studies:

  • Grants for feasibility studies are available up to a maximum of 75% of the feasibility study costs and the applicant must be willing to have the results of the studies publicised as a case study. For details click here

Wood Fuel Classification Guidelines:

BANZ has developed Wood Fuel Classification Guidelines. The current version (Version 4) is available here.
The latest version is updated periodically as comments are received.
If you have any comments to make please direct them to Executive Officer

Forthcoming Events

BANZ 2010 Events: notification will be posted as and when events are made available

Event Focus
Date and Location
Details
Thermo-chemical conversion of biomass to energy and liquid fuels Friday 5th Feb 2010, Christchurch For information and registration click here or
email Shusheng Pang.
BANZ AGM Monday 8th February 2010, Wellington at 6pm Formal notification and AGM papers will be made available in early January
Bioenergy Strategy Workshop Tuesday 9th February 2010, Wellington Event Flyer / Programme
Booking Form
more details below
Developing a Wood Pellets Market Thursday 18th February 2010, Rotorua Programme will be on the website soon
Using wood energy for industrial and commercial heat requirements - targeting Consulting Engineers Auckland 22nd March, 9am - 3pm

Dunedin, 25th March, 9am - 3pm

Christchurch, 26th March, 9am - 3pm 		Auckland book here


Dunedin book here

 Christchurch book here
EECA Biofuels and Electric Vehicles Conference Wednesday 21st April 2010, Wellington Details on EECA website here
Liquid Biofuels in NZ - Emerging opportunities, sustainable development and increasing availability Thursday 22nd April 2010, Wellington Back to back event with EECA biofuels and electric vehicles conference on the preceding day. joint registration discount available. Programme Booking Form
Wood Chip Boiler and their Fuel Supply Chain - A study tour of wood chip boiler installations and wood fuel operations Wednesday/Thursday 6 - 7 May 2010, (Dunedin and Otago) Programme will be on the website soon
Biogas from Municipal solid and liquid waste Wednesday 13th May 2010, Christchurch In conjunction with the Energy Management Association of NZ (EMANZ)
Biogas as a Transport Fuel November 2010 tbc
Workshop - 9th February 2010

To assist with the preparation of a New Zealand Bioenergy Development Strategy BANZ will be holding a workshop in Wellington on 9th February 2010 to present the results of the Bioenergy Options project and a picture of the opportunities that are arising from bioenergy over the next decade. From that a bioenergy strategy will be presented and discussed. If you are interested in being an active participant in the bioenergy sector and want a clear picture of the opportunities available to you and influence the strategy then you should book this workshop into your diary now.

  • Programme click here
  • Registration form click here
One Day Course - Thermo-chemical Conversion of Biomass to Energy and Liquid Fuel

Date: 5th February 2010:
Venue: Lecture Theatre E1, College of Engineering, University of Canterbury, Creyke Road, Christchurch
Fees: $395 incl gst for IPENZ Members, $400 incl gst for Technical Group Members, and $425 incl gst for Non-Members

The Bioenergy Research Team led by Professor Shusheng Pang in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering, University of Canterbury, has been conducting research and technology development on biomass gasification for five years. This course will update participants on the latest research, achievements and technologies on renewable energy development and will cover commercialisation issues and technical-economic aspects of biomass processing.

If you would like further information on these items or if there are issues that you would like to suggest as areas of future focus - please Programme Administrator

Current Activities

Technical Standards:
The BANZ Executive Officer is on the joint New Zealand/Australian Standards Committee so if you have technical matters relating to standards contact him.

Development of a Wood Pellet Fire Installer Training and Accreditation Scheme:
This is an industry funder initiative and will be delivered by two of New Zealand's leading Polytechnics.
If you would like further information on these items or if there are issues that you would like to suggest as areas of future focus - please contact Programme Administrator.

Mission and Vision

What is BANZ trying to achieve?

The mission of BANZ is to:

  • Autumn red and gold forest with hazeEncourage the utilisation of New Zealand's abundant biomass resources and provide renewable energy in the form of heat, power and transport fuels in a sustainable and cost effective manner.
  • Promote to the wider community the environmental benefits of Bioenergy including greenhouse gas mitigation and waste avoidance.
  • To facilitate implementation of commercial bioenergy projects

The BANZ vision is that annual bioenergy production from woody biomass will double to 50 PJ by the year 2010.