About the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ)

The Association

Veins on a leafThe Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) has been established to support it's member's business interests and to promote and coordinate the expansion of the New Zealand bioenergy sector in all its forms and applications to potential bioenergy users. The Association also provides a central focus point for liaison with Government agencies, the dissemination of information amongst the sector and long-term positioning of bioenergy into New Zealand's energy system.

Members include anyone with a commercial interest in bioenergy - organic matter resource owners, landowners, wood processors feedstock suppliers, fuel and energy suppliers, energy researchers, educators, equipment suppliers, consultants, contractors, service providers, manufacturers, private and government sector asset owners, regulators and investors.

Mission and Vision

The mission of BANZ is to:

  • Support its members build successful businesses based on bioenergy and biofuels.
  • Encourage 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 Strategy vision is for 25% of NZ consumer energy supply from bioenergy by 2040.

Constitution

A copy of the BANZ Constitution can be downloaded in PDF format here.

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Objectives

The major objectives of BANZ are to:

  • Assist sector participants to realise commercial opportunities based on the wide range of biomass resources, particularly woody biomass and organic waste.
  • Assist Government to develop policies supportive of bioenergy projects and the development of export business opportunities.
  • Advocate policy issues to local, regional and central government, as well as to regulatory bodies, industry groups and other interested organisations to promote the benefits of bioenergy.
  • Promote the recognition of biomass as a sustainable energy resource providing economic, environmental and societal benefits to New Zealand's long term future.
  • Encourage and support research activities related to bioenergy technologies, biomass utilisation and the collation of industry data and industry statistics.
  • Identify, evaluate and, where appropriate, promote the development of markets for liquid and gaseous biomass fuels for the transport sector.
  • Encourage further uptake of waste-to-energy processes, in particular the use of landfill gases, municipal green waste, and dairy farm waste.
  • Promote the economic, environmental and social benefits of biomass use (including employment opportunities particularly in rural communities).

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Action Plan

The Association will achieve the objectives as follows:

  • Produce an Action Plan that ensures that the Association is financially well supported and able to fulfill its objectives.
  • Undertake collective activities that support individual member's business activities and give the public confidence that bioenergy is an established mainstream energy source.
  • Ensure that all participants in the sector are encouraged to be members, and the Association is highly respected, through the quality and quantity of its activities.
  • Nurture the bioenergy sector and the companies that work in it by supporting members to develop their business by providing information and other appropriate assistance.
  • Organise seminars, conferences and other promotional and educational events in order to disseminate information relating to biomass use.
  • Provide a forum for members to discuss bioenergy projects and to co-ordinate where appropriate.
  • Liaise and collaborate with similar international agencies and organisations.

You can download a copy of the BANZ Action Plan in PDF format here.

Members of the BANZ Board

Meeting Dates 2013

2.00 pm Tuesday, 5 March (Auckland R2R)  
2.00 pm Tuesday, 4 June  
2.00 pm Tuesday, 6 August  
2.00 pm September AGM  
2.00 pm Tuesday, 5 November  

 

  • Download the full list of meetings here.

Please note: From time to time meeting dates may have to change. The BANZ team will notify members of any changes as soon as possible.

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Sub Committees

Rob Mallinson
(Convener - Policy Sub Committee)		 Brian Cox
(Convener - Research and Information Sub Committee)

Administration Team

Brian Cox
* Executive Officer
* Government Liaison
* Media and Public liaison
* Support to Biogas Interest Group
* Support to Liquid Biofuels and Co-products IG		 Connie Crookshanks
* BioFlash Editor and Event Organiser
* Member Liaison
* Directory Management
* Supporting the Wood Pellets IG
John Gifford
* Research and analysis
* Wood fuels market
* Support to the Wood Fuels IG		 Anne Phiri
* Membership administration
* General administration
* Web site and Directory administration
* Accounts

Members

Sustaining members
 
Corporate members
Affiliates
Sustaining

A list of BANZ members can be downloaded here

Partners
 

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BANZ Interest Groups

BANZ has four special topic Interest Groups to help focus the interests and activities of our various Members. The Interest groups are the powerhouse of the organisation with responsibility for policy and management of activities relevant to the Interest Group topic.

The Interest Groups are open to any BANZ member and are structured around a Committee who lead on any aspect of the topic. If you want to be active in the Interest Group you should join the committee by contacting BANZ staff. Committees meet by teleconference every two months.

Biogas Interest Group
Committee Chair - Keith Jones, Auckland University		 Liquid Biofuels and Co-products Interest Group
Committee Chair - Kevin Snowdon
Wood Pellets Interest Group
Committee Chair - tba		 Wood Fuel Interest Group
Committee Chair - Christian Jirkowsky, Polytechnik Biomass Pty Ltd

 

Each Interest Group has its own topic web site where information on the topic relevant to New Zealand is held. These web sites are designed to be the authoritative portal to sources of information on that topic.

Click here to view the full list of meeting dates for 2013.

Biogas Interest Group

The Biogas Interest Group includes New Zealand's leading players in the biogas sector including industry technology providers, consultants and researchers.  The Group focuses on the dissemination of information on biogas demonstration projects, sharing information and knowledge about advances in biogas technology and use, and works co-operatively to progress issues such as biogas design and construction standards in large and small scale applications.  Several members are active internationally and are leading their field in the development of innovative biogas technology and solutions. The Interest Group is also responsible for activities related to the conversion of municipal or farming organic matter to energy.

Click on the links to view the Biogas web-site and the Group Convener details.

Liquid Biofuels & Co-products Interest Group

The Liquid Biofuels & Co-products Group consists of New Zealand’s emerging transport and biofuel technology researchers and developers and leading producers and retailers of liquid biofuels. This Group works collaboratively in order to promote investment in new biofuel production facilities and the use of biofuels in New Zealand.  Working together they support the development of our capability to ensure that New Zealander’s have increasing access to a cleaner, greener fuel source.  This group is paving the way to a future that will see advanced liquid biofuels based on wood and organic waste become the norm in New Zealand and indeed across the world. The Group keeps a close eye on international developments in particular the growing interest from the aviation sector in bio-based fuels. A number of members lead their field internationally with innovative ways of producing biofuels while reducing pollution.

Click on the links to view Liquid Biofuels web-site and the Group Convener details.

Wood Fuel Interest Group

The Wood Fuel Interest Group includes New Zealand’s leading providers of wood fuel and suppliers of heat plant technologies of all scales and sizes.  It also includes asset owners wanting to ensure that there is a reliable supply of quality wood fuel to their facilities. Together this group works to promote the use of woody biomass (that would otherwise be disposed of as waste) in modern, clean burning and efficient boilers for heat or co generation applications.  A number of small, medium and large scale heat users are appreciating the merits and convenience of wood fuel as they look to a cleaner more sustainable fuel for heat provision. Applications are typically in the commercial/ industrial sector.  The group also focuses on the development of sector technical guides and other resources and materials promoting quality wood fuel standards.

BANZ Wood Fuel Resources and sector information are presented through the UseWoodFuel NZ web site, part of the BANZ UseWoodFuel NZ campaign. The campaign aims to increase the uptake and availability of quality wood fuel in New Zealand. It is modeled on a similar approach spearheaded in Scotland in the UK. In addition to the web site the campaign is supported by a programme of events, information sessions and open days around the country to promote understanding of wood fuel.

Click on the links to go to the UseWoodFuel NZ web site and the Group Convener details.

Wood Pellets Interest Group

The Wood Pellet Interest Group consists of New Zealand’s leading producers and suppliers of wood pellets and suppliers of pellet fuelled appliances.  Pellets have been separated from wood fuel because to some extent in the residential market their issues are slightly different. New Zealand has a growing residential pellet market with a wide range of pellets fires now available to the householder.  Equally pellets are also of interest in the commercial / industrial sector identified as a high quality wood fuel.  New Zealand producers also export to Australian and Asian markets.  This group works cooperatively to promote the wider benefits of pellets as a high quality, clean, green heating solution in particular to ensure the production and availability of pellet fuel across the sector.  The Group is focusing on the promotion of pellets in the heat market and in the accreditation of pellet suppliers.

Click on the links to view Wood Pellets web-site and Group Convener details.

BANZ activities are organised around its Interest Groups. Please contact us if you wish to join any of these groups.

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BANZ Scholarships

BANZ is undertaking initiatives to help ensure greater development of the skills, experience and knowledge of bioenergy professionals in New Zealand, including attracting those in associated activities to consider specialising in bioenergy.

As one of those initiatives BANZ has established a scholarship scheme which will be available for the purposes of specific training, research, travel or industry based work experience. * Conditions apply

BANZ/EECA Wood Energy Scholarship * - for professional engineering practitioners
BANZ/Scion Masterate Scholarship - for a student undertaking a Masterate in a topic related to Bioenergy
BANZ/Scion Bioenergy Industry based work experience - placement of a scientist for a fixed period within a bioenergy company or for a company employee with Scion.

How to apply

Details about the Scholarships and how to apply are available here:

Results of the 2012 application round can be found here

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