Revitalised biofuels project progresses in New Zealand

New Zealand-based petrol station brand Z Energy wants to bring a biofuel project in Auckland back online.

CEO Mike Bennetts says the company wants to reduce its carbon footprint through creating 20 million litres of biofuel from tallow feedstock, which could then go toward making 400,000 litres of E5 diesel.

An earlier attempt at this got to pilot level but a loss of financing meant it stalled. Z Energy brought the intellectual property and is at advanced stage to revitalise the NZ$15 million (€9.5 million) project.

‘We're actually completing the engineering design on both a new building and the plant itself. That work will be completed by the end of February and, if it lines up with our original estimates, we'll go ahead with the investment,’ Bennetts was quoted as saying.

Bennetts did also add that a ‘lack of government support and cheap shale oil supply’ makes it hard for renewable projects to thrive currently.