Major Biomass Gasification Workshop in New Zealand

An initiative that we hope will allow concrete developments and deployments in New Zealand.

New Zealand’s small bio-energy industry will have the opportunity to enter a new phase of research and collaboration on Monday when more than 50 specialists meet in Christchurch to explore new approaches to producing fuel gas from biomass.

International contributors to the event include Dr Suresh Babu, Vice President Research and Development, Gas Technology Institute, USA; and John Irving, General Manager McNeil Biomass Power Plant, Vermont USA.

Biomass currently provides around 5 per cent of New Zealand’s primary energy supply. The largest contribution is in the forestry industry through waste wood, black liquor in the pulp and paper industry and a limited amount of electricity production.

New Zealand has 1.8million hectares in pine plantations, providing a large source of woody biomass. The installed capacity of biomass energy plant throughout the larger wood processing sites in New Zealand is around 550MWth,yet there is no exclusive electricity generation using wood or forest residues.