Volume 21 | Issue 6 | November 2022 www.waterfordpress.co.nz businessnorth Avocado Magic Fromthe rich soils of Northland, Lynwood AvocadoNursery has carved out a successful niche supplying trees around the country. PAGE 50
2 | Contents businessnorth 10| Waste to energy Ecogas has developed New Zealand’s first full-scale, clean energy plant powered by food waste. 43| Pedal power Ecotricity’s bid to do its best to shape a better and cleaner New Zealand also extends to its staff. 111| Winning in Warkworth Warkworth Butchery owner Rob Lees is enjoying his time and achieving success after making the move north. 43 111 10 These conditions are prescribed for the sake of understanding between the Company and its clients. Advertising is charged for on the basis of space taken up using a standard tabloid page. Actual space may be reduced during the printing process but this will effect all advertisers equally so no credit will be given for any reduction in size due to processing. The Company reserves the right to alter, change or omit entirely any advertisement or article that it considers to be objectionable or which may contravene any law. 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| 3 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Auckland Zoo Rachel Graham Enhancing the wildlife connection Aerial bridges are part of Auckland Zoo’s new South East Asia Jungle Track. Aquatic & Environmental Landscape Specialist 027 347 8338 | darin@aquaenvirons.com www.aquaenvirons.com Fabric Structures is a leader in creative fabric engineering. CONTACT US CALL +64 (09) 303 4373 | EMAIL INFO@FABRICSTRUCTURE.CO.NZ TENSILE METAL MESH INTERIORS FACADES @ Mark Scowen Photography BRINGING NEW ZEALAND’S ICONIC LANDSCAPES TO LIFE SRS Group is NZ's first dedicated, and leading supplier of architectural rigging, tensile mesh, and bespoke fabrication solutions. With over 50 years' combined experience, we work closely with key players in the construction industry to deliver end-to-end solutions across the civil, commercial, and high-end residential markets. Our custom fabrication team with their specialist riggers fabricated the Boardwalk with X-Tend mesh infill at Auckland Zoo on top of multiple rigging and fabrication projects for the Tigers, Otters, Orangutans and more! SRS Group NZ Ltd Unit F, 2 Rothwell Ave, Rosedale Auckland 0632 T: 09 953 0599 | E: info@srsgroup.co.nz | W: www.srsgroup.co.nz 2/31 Victoria St, Onehunga • PO Box 13-914 Onehunga P (09) 636 6385 M (027) 472 0473 E greg@citysiteworks.co.nz Proud to Support Auckland Zoo In Auckland Zoo’s new South East Asia Jungle Track visitors can come eye to eye with one of the world’s largest crocodilians, see Sumatran tigers swimming, or walking on bridges above them and experience orangutans and siamangs swinging across an expansive network of 25-metre-high aerial pathways. Zoo Director, Kevin Buley, says what he really wants is to give people a sense of hope for the future in difficult times. “Our mission is to bring people together to build a future for wildlife. That’s our wildlife conservation mission. “One of the most important things we do as a conservation organisation is to provide a venue where people can come together, connect with wildlife, and feel that sense of hope for the future.” In December the zoo celebrates its centenary, and Kevin says it’s a great time to ensure the habitats meet the needs of animals in a good modern zoo. “In order to really deliver on our mission, we need to create habitats that not only meet animals’ welfare needs, but give them lives that in many ways are better than their counterparts in the wild,” says Kevin. “We also need to deliver an experience for our visitors that enables that connection to happen. That’s really what the new track is about. It’s about providing incredible habitats for our orangutans, siamangs, tigers, otters, the new Sunda gharial crocodiles and thousands of fish. And it’s about ensuring our visitors connect with the animals in a way that hopefully in the long run helps to make a difference.” Head of Zoo Environment, Design and Conservation, Monica Lake, says one goal was to ensure that the new habitats provided the kind of spaces animals would be comfortable in. Within the lowlands habitat (for tigers and otters), the tigers have three distinct areas. These feature different terrains and microclimates, including elevated ridges, a pool and beach, and bush areas and outdoor dens to provide shade and to hide and snooze in, and vitally, the opportunity to be up high “Apex predators like big cats like to look out and down over their environment,” says Monica. “So, with the bridges the tigers can go to a location where they’re actually looking down on people, rather than people looking down on them.” Head of Animal Care and Conservation, Richard Gibson, says his favourite habitat is the Indonesian swamp forest – created within a large transparent climate-controlled tropical dome. It’s home to the crocodiles and a rich diversity of fish species. “It’s a totally immersive experience,” says Richard, “and the detail we’ve gone to, in terms of creating an authentic natural habitat, I’ve never seen anything like it virtually anywhere in the world. You will be hit by 28 degrees, by 80 percent humidity, it’ll smell humid and rich like a forest, with the sounds of the forest all around you. And if you stand there long enough it’ll rain on you.” Visitors will experience soft lush tropical greenness in every direction - there are over 100 flora species, and thousands of individual plants. Two-metre-high windows into the swamp forest’s three large pools and connecting beach areas offer spectacular views of thousands of fish and the Sunda gharial crocodiles. The project has been realised after decades of planning and nearly five years of construction. Funded through Auckland Council’s longterm plan, it cost $62m, and Kevin Buley says without the council’s support the work would never have happened. The construction work was done by NZ Strong, and project manager Garyth Jones says working on a site with animals like orangutans keeping watch has been an amazing experience. He says there was more involvement with the clients and stakeholders than on some other projects, with the Zoo’s specialist staff making tweaks as they went along to ensure the project met the needs of the animals.
4 | REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Whitianga Marina Virginia Wright Busy marina in expansion mode Whitianga Marina is replacing its old breakwater and increasing the number of berths available for 18-22 metre boats. to page 6 Whitianga Marina is only two minutes from the township of Whitianga itself, an easy walk for boaties looking to load up with provisions while they fuel up before heading back out to the clear blue waters of Mercury Bay. In summer the marina sees a daily stream of visitors from around the coast, many from nearby Tauranga or Whangamata, but some replenishing supplies as they make the voyage further north to the Bay of Islands. The marina itself is in expansion mode. They’re most of the way through replacing the old breakwater and increasing the number of berths available for 18-22 metre boats, and they recently replaced their diesel-only fuel dock with a state-of-the-art fuel facility which includes petrol. “It’s a game-changer,” says Dave Munday who’s been managing Whitianga Marina since 2017. “There’s a lot more big fishing boats, and 10 metre trailer boats coming out on the market, with big 250 or 300 horsepower motors on the back that run on petrol. We’re the only place along roughly 80 miles of Coromandel coastline north where you can fuel up on the water.” The marina’s expansion is timely given that it’s within 20 minutes motoring of the Whitianga Waterways, a coastal settlement under development in Mercury Bay complete with the canals, moorings and private boat ramps that its name suggests.
| 5 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Whitianga Marina Whitianga Marina is within 20 minutes motoring of the Whitianga Waterways, a settlement under development in Mercury Bay complete with the canals, moorings and private boat ramps. Specialists in boat repair, marine painting and maintenance, H&M Pascoe has made integrity and quality craftsmanship its trusted hallmarks throughout its long history servicing the commercial and recreational boating sectors. Based in Whitianga, the successful business was founded in 1953 by Howard Pascoe and in 1977 was joined by his son Mitch, a quali ied and highly skilled boat builder and exterior marine painter. When Howard retired, Mitch took the helm of the business and was later joined by his wife Phyll, who assists with the administration side of the growing business. The majority of H&M Pascoe's projects come from the Whitianga Marina where the company has four small workshops/storage sheds along with a 16-metre purpose built movable shed, allowing for all-weather work. The company also uses the Whitianga Marina sheds when clients request. Some of the work is carried out a short distance away at the company's boat yard in Dundas Street, which has a fully equipped woodworking workshop, an 8-metre shed to house trailer boats, as well as a shed capable of housing 12-metre vessels for major repairs. "We mainly work on boats between 10 to 15 metres," says Mitch. "However, we have worked on a boat which was Integrity and craftsmanship over 21 metres long. We're reliant on the boats being the right size for the marina's travelift limit. We also work on trailer boats and even Jetski's and campervans occasionally." While branding itself a boat repair and maintenance business, with Mitch being a highly quali ied boat builder, H&M Pascoe does quite a lot of boat building work including itting transducers, installing bow thrusters and repairing damaged or worn teak decks or rebuilding from new. "It's a very important part of our business and very rewarding in job satisfaction," explains Mitch. "Our core business though is doing maintenance, painting and repair work, including antifouling and Propspeed, ibreglass repairs, paint touch ups, full paint jobs and plumbing. Many of the add-on components, such as hatches and portholes, have a inite life before they start to leak. Repairing or replacing those items to keep the vessel's interior dry is another of our key services. With two, soon to be three, quali ied marine painters, we can prepare and paint hulls, complete vessels or areas speci ic to the owners' requirements. We also repair damaged and rotten areas of vessels that need to be restored. Once this work has been completed, we can repaint the entire vessel or the areas that have been repaired.” BOAT REPAIRS, PAINTING & MAINTENANCE
6 | Expansion underway The new breakwater is well underway and expected to be completed by February 2023, with the new outside wall having to be completely finished before the old breakwater could be dismantled. from page 4 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Whitianga Marina Commercial diving & marine services across New Zealand Proudly supporting Whitianga Marina Ph: 04 577 3650 E: www.underwatersolutions.co.nz Previously it was tricky for more than one boat to fill up at a time. During the peak summer season boats were putting anchors down in the Whitianga river while they waited their turn. Now Whitianga Marina can cater for up to five boats filling up at once, which is just as well considering what’s coming. “The Waterways have two big islands accessed using bridges, but you can’t get under those bridges with a launch, it’s not possible, so these big petrol boats are the only option. When that development’s finished it’s going to have 1000 boats in there,” says Dave. The new breakwater is well underway and expected to be completed by February 2023, with the new outside wall having to be completely finished before the old breakwater could be dismantled. Once finished Whitianga Marina will have 31 new big berths for boats measuring from 18 to 22 metres, while nevertheless staying within its original footprint. Its construction can be likened to a lego set, with 65 new piles driven nine and half metres into the seabed to anchor the 6m x 3m concrete panels that connect to form the outer wall of the new breakwater. While performing its primary function of protecting the marina from the river currents the new breakwater design presents more than just an endless concrete façade thanks to some beautiful Maori motifs etched into its surface. “The local iwi Ngati Hei is quite heavily involved in this and James Webster has done the special artwork incorporated into the panels the whole way along,” says Dave. “Once the outer walls are complete there’ll be a 2.5 metre public walkway right along the top with a handrail running along both sides. 600 metres of handrail will be lit up at night with recessed lighting every two metres, it will be a beautiful sight.” Interspersed along the length of the 260-metre-long breakwater which runs the length of the marina will be 31 new berths ready for boats up to 22 metres long to back into position. Their approach through the marina will be easier too thanks to the new breakwater’s walls being predictably vertical. “The old rock wall was built on an angle so at low tide you didn’t know how close you could go. It made it tricky if you met another boat coming the other way at low tide, but we’ve gained some width in our fairway and boats won’t have to hug the middle anymore.” Paid for by selling berths off the plans in much the same way as any townhouse development, the marina expansion will bring more than just extra boats to Whitianga. The extra capacity makes it easier for the summer influx of people to boost the local economy as they access the shops they need. Having spent several years in the world of international yacht-racing and now been managing the marina for five years, Dave’s proud to be part of improving the services available to locals and visitors alike.
| 7 Virginia Wright World-class facility cements its place Photo: Eke Panuku. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Westhaven Marina We have over 30 years experience of selling new and used boats from our high profile location - with high repeat and referral business we are always looking for new listings - if you’re looking to sell your boat, please give us a call! www.lauriecollins.co.nz | wayne@lcw.co.nz Providing engineering and marina design services to Westhaven Marina Proud supplier of the Westhaven Marina redevelopment masterplan www.shorewise.co.nz SPECIALISING IN THE DESIGN OF MARINE STRUCTURES Now the biggest recreational marina in the southern hemisphere, Westhaven Marina began in the early 1900s as an area used by boats from the traditional tanning, timber and fishing industries to pick up and drop off cargo. By the 1940s it was a protected water-space for recreational boats, while its transformation to marina began in the 1960s. Purchased by Auckland Council in 2004, management of Westhaven Marina was passed to Eke Panuku Development Auckland, which has continued its development as a world-class facility. Thanks to its recent expansion and refurbishment which began in 2019, Westhaven Marina now has over 1800 berths catering for recreational boats from 8 to 30 metres, four yacht clubs and a variety of marine businesses and hospitality establishments. The opening of the Load ‘n Go berth as a pick-up/drop-off point for operators unable to berth in the CBD brought the marina full circle to those early trading days, while the Port of First Arrival customs and MPI berth, allowing international recreational boats up to 25m to clear directly into Auckland, offers a very upto-date service. Welcoming people to the marina area and offering all its users an outstanding level of service has been a focus in recent years. The completion of the second stage of the award-winning Westhaven Promenade offers a continuous shared path along Westhaven’s foreshore between Wynyard Quarter and the Auckland Harbour Bridge, making the marina accessible to anyone wanting to enjoy the view along with some fresh ocean air. These days along with the yachties, the recreational launch owners, and marine businesses you might expect to find in the area you will also find the general public in all its guises with the promenade proving popular with cyclists, runners and office workers looking for somewhere to have lunch. At the same time as transforming themselves into a recreational space for everyone to enjoy, Westhaven Marina has made sure to offer exceptional services to those that use them in the more traditional sense. The 2461sqm Marine Village houses an ever-increasing number of marine based chandlery services along with space for a food and beverage offering. The largest refuelling facility in the southern hemisphere can dispense up to 20 million litres per year. Within the marina there is a four-lane public boat ramp, a floating dock service, shower and laundry facilities, and sewage pump-out available on four of their spiers. Around the marina’s perimeter there are dry stack berths, travelifts, two boatyards and two large capacity slipways. As impressive as the facilities are, they are only part of what brought Westhaven Marina the first Gold Anchor accreditation in New Zealand. “It’s an international accreditation scheme that has been assessing marinas for something like 25 years. It’s similar to star ratings for hotels except they use anchors and we got four out of a possible five,” says Marina Manager Gareth Wilson. It’s a complex system that takes into account various factors such as location, accessibility of hotels, food and beverage to those on foot and so on, along with a comprehensive assessment of marina specific things from the state of the bathrooms to that of the floating piers, their refurbishment programme, their financial situation and so on. “It really takes in every aspect of the marina,” says Gareth. “An auditor flew in from Australia for a three day evaluation including one-on-ones with staff members and berth holders, so it was quite a rigorous process.” It’s been a good year for recognition of all the work that has gone into future proofing Westhaven Marina. At this year’s New Zealand Marine Operators (NZMOA) awards they entered three categories and won all of them. “We were humbled to be awarded NZMOA Marina of the Year, Best Environmental Performer Award and the Outstanding Initiative Award – terrific acknowledgement of the efforts of the whole marina team,”says Gareth. The initiative in question is part and parcel of their care for the environment. Taking their parking ticket system online eliminates the need for 6,000 sheets a year of 120gsm A4 holographic foiled paper and the plastic pouches that held them. Other environmental initiatives include their partnership with the Kai Ika project, a service allowing fishers to have their catch expertly processed with a nose-to-tail solution that ensures nothing goes to waste. All off-cuts are shared with Auckland families and community groups who value these parts of the fish. To date, Kai Ika has repurposed over 270,000kg of fish offcuts, which would have been otherwise wasted. In addition, solar panels, water-treatment facilities, care with recycling and rubbish are just some of the many measures in place to keep the marina’s impact on the environment to an absolute minimum. Gareth sums it up nicely. “At its heart Westhaven Marina remains a facility dedicated to the interests of boating and the marine industry. “We have immense pride in our marina’s history and take the responsibility of providing a marine destination for all to enjoy very seriously.” Westhaven Marina is the biggest recreational marina in the southern hemisphere.
8 | Ruakura Superhub Sue Russell Superhub a massive boost for region The Ruakura Superhub will grow in time to be a 30-hectare inland port, fed directly by the East Coast main-trunk line connecting Waikato to the Bay of Plenty, and to the recently completed Waikato Expressway linking with Auckland to the north. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Our family business is proud to be working in partnership with Tainui Group Holdings to develop a 1.6-hectare service centre at the Ruakura Superhub. The flagship site will include a Waitomo Fuel Stop with alternative energy options including hydrogen refueling and EV charging stations, as well as truck refueling lanes. A touch-free carwash, two quick-service restaurants, a café and a convenience store will round out our offerings. Whatever your fuel needs, Waitomo can help. As well as supplying petrol and diesel, we offer bulk fuel supply, onsite diesel supply and fuel storage solutions. Seventy-five years on, our values remain the same – great people, top performance and a fairer price for fuel. Give the Waitomo team a call to discuss your fuel needs today. One hundred percent Kiwi-owned and operated, Waitomo has been fueling Kiwi businesses across the country for 75 years. 0800 922 123 | WAITOMOGROUP.CO.NZ PROUDLY PART OF THE RUAKURA SUPERHUB STORY As a local and specialist geotechnical consultancy, we pride ourselves on becoming immersed in our clients’ projects - taking ownership of geotechnical issues and delivering practical solutions. Our expertise and services include: • Investigation, instrumentation, ground modelling and reporting • Geotechnical analysis and design • Value engineering and geotechnical peer review • Construction support Great people | Practical solutions Find out more: www.cmwgeosciences.com In September, the first stage of the Ruakura Superhub, a massive project full of promise in Hamilton’s eastern quarter, opened for business. At 92-hectares, the first stage of the Tainui Group Holdings’ (TGH) development, includes 9-hectares of what will grow in time to be a 30-hectare inland port, fed directly by the East Coast main-trunk line connecting Waikato to the Bay of Plenty, and to the recently completed Waikato Expressway linking with Auckland to the north. For Hamilton-East MP, Jamie Strange, the opening of the first stage heralds in a new era of economic growth for the city and region. His connection to Ruakura Superhub stems back several years though. “When I was elected to Government in 2017 one of the first organisations that contacted me, and invited me to sit around their board table, was Tainui Group Holdings. “Their CEO, Chris Joblin, was keen for me to learn, as a resident and Member of Parliament what their vision for the land was and the promise it held to bring prosperity and development,” Jamie explains. Chris and Jamie systematically worked to raise the profile of the project, inviting Ministers across a range of portfolios to visit and learn more about what was planned. With so many demands from all over the country to tap into Provincial Growth Funding, Jamie acknowledges there was a time when he felt the Superhub might well be overlooked. “I remember sitting in the basement of the Beehive with Chris Joblin and Brian Croad, after having lobbied another Minister. At that time we were unsure regarding the potential of Government funding. However, a few months later we were both relieved and excited when the Provincial Growth Fund decided to invest in this project.” Describing it as the perfect location for an inland port, commercial and industrial precinct and eventually a housing development, which will one day be home to several thousand residents, Jamie knows Ruakura Superhub is going to bring massive benefits to business and to people. When completed stage one will include a 35 hectare logistics hub, 25 hectare of industrial space, a 10 hectare wetland and a cluster of local roads. And to prove that every challenge also throws up opportunities, Jamie says that when Covid came along, suddenly big retailers in other regions, found themselves short of space to process the avalanche of on-line shopping orders. Some of these companies looked toward the Waikato and the Superhub as a place to build large-scale warehousing and retail facilities, giving the project another big boost. In all, Government has invested $56.8mil-
| 9 Ruakura Superhub Jamie Strange: “I’m very proud of what has been achieved and is being done through partnerships between organisations, council and government.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Principal Planner at Hamilton’s Bloxam, Burnett & Olliver (BBO), Chris Dawson says the multi-disciplinary consultancy has had the opportunity to be involved in many iconic projects that have helped shape the way the vibrant city and region looks and feels. With o ices in Hamilton and Tauranga, BBO has the professional knowledge and experience to enable property development companies of all sizes, councils, government and private organisations to successfully navigate often intricate and complex planning pathways. “We are absolutely committed to providing our clients, regardless of the size and nature of their project, with the expertise and tools to achieve great outcomes.” From infrastructure engineering, construction monitoring, structural and water resource engineering to roading, land development and planning, BBO has the depth and breadth of capability to get projects going. So when Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) developed The Ruakura Superhub, BBO was able to bring its expertise to the table. “We’ve been there right from the start of the implementation, helping to plan and design all the necessary infrastructure to shape and de ine the many unique elements of this project of national signi icance,” Chris says. That’s meant designing and managing construction of all the civil infrastructure, earthworks, roading, waste water utilities along with, what will become a storm-water treatment wetland, which will act like the kidneys for the site, managing the movement and treating of stormwater run-o . “You can imagine with the inland port, BBO: With you from the start logistics centre, large-scale industrial and commercial buildings and roading for future-planned residential zones, stormwater run-o had to be really carefully thought through. The 10ha Te Wairepo Reserve wetland development not only solves that problem but will add signi icantly to the look and feel of the area, providing a recreational open area for people to enjoy.” “One of the challenges in building on the site is the infrastructure you have to design around. We’re talking a number of very large buildings and the services they need to operate. They all have to it together.” Other signi icant projects for BBO have included consenting, civil design and construction oversight for the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway, the development of The Base shopping precinct for Tainui Group Holdings, rezoning and development of the Horotiu Industrial Park and church, community and residential development at Temple View for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We’re also currently overseeing construction of the newest bridge over the Waikato River, near the Hamilton Gardens for Hamilton City Council. Hamilton City and the Waikato Region is certainly undergoing a transformation and we’re proud to have been a part of making that happen.” Asked what makes BBO tick Chris says it’s a company small enough to feel like everyone knows each other reasonably well. “In that way it’s a great sta culture. While we have the size to deliver on the large projects we’re also small enough to do a two-lot subdivision and it’s the variety of size and type of project that makes the work so engaging.” We are a multi-disciplinary team of consultants based in Hamilton and Tauranga, focused on helping people just like you to achieve better development outcomes. • Infrastructure Engineering • Construction Monitoring • Structural Engineering • Water Resource Engineering • Tra ic & Transportation Engineering • Planning • Land Development lion in infrastructure, delivered through the PGF and the Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG), along with Tainui Group Holdings, who owned the land and invested funds as well as Hamilton City Council who provided $5million in funding toward all important transport infrastructure. The proximity of rail links is also significant with an estimate stating that upward of 65,000 truck journeys will be removed. Sitting within the golden triangle (Auckland-Hamilton-Tauranga), interest in leasing sites in the logistics precinct is strong, with over 70% of sites already leased or in negotiation. “I think Ruakura Superhub is just one of many examples of how Hamilton is really coming of age as a vital, exciting city to live in within a region that has much to offer,” says Jamie. Confirmed tenants includes K-Mart and Maersk, Big Chill, Waitomo Group and PBT. The inland port is a joint venture between TGH and the Port of Tauranga with a starting capacity of up to 60,000 container movements each year, growing to one million container movements when the staged port development is completed. Along with all that is happening at Ruakura, Jamie says Hamilton City has several other big developments currently underway including the Waikato Regional Theatre in Hamilton’s main street and adjacent to Waikato River, along with the Pan Pasifika hub which has also benefitted from provincial growth funding, to the tune of a $6million grant and a $2million loan. “I’m very proud of what has been achieved and is being done through partnerships between organisations, council and government. “The Ruakura Superhub and the Pan Pasifika hub are just two great examples of why this region is thriving.”
10 | Ecogas: Food Waste Processing Facility Kim Newth Food waste powers energy plant to page 12 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Warner Construction is proud to be associated with Ecogas General Engineering • Pipeline Construction • Geothermal • Bolt Tensioning • Blast & Paint • Transport Services Waitara (Head Office) 06 754 8602 adam@warnerconstruction.co.nz 36 Norman St, Waitara, New Plymouth 4320 Taupo 07 376 5753 grant@warnerconstruction.co.nz 32 Manuka St, Tauhara, Taupo 3330 Bell Block 06 755 4504 adam@warnerconstruction.co.nz 65 De Havilland Drive, Bell Block, New Plymouth 4312 www.warnerconstruction.co.nz EcoStock Supplies Limited and Pioneer Energy have joined forces to do something about New Zealand’s significant food waste problem. Operating together as Ecogas Limited Partnership, they have developed New Zealand’s first full-scale, clean energy plant powered by food waste. The state-of-the-art plant, located at Reporoa in the central North Island, will turn 75,000 tonnes of organic waste into renewable clean energy and biofertiliser. Ecogas is in the commissioning phase with the large-scale food waste-to-bioenergy facility due to become fully operational by the end of the year. It marks a big step towards Aotearoa New Zealand achieving a more sustainable future. Organic waste from businesses and kerbside food and scrap collections throughout the Waikato and Auckland will be sent to the $30 million facility at Reporoa, which has been funded by Ecogas partners and supported with a loan from the Provincial Growth Fund. Currently, this country generates more than 327,000 tonnes of food waste per year, roughly equivalent to a busload of food waste going to landfill every five minutes. It is a sobering fact that we are currently one of the highest generators of waste per person in the OECD. “[But] We are now seeing a big shift from central government towards a more circular economy – one that seeks to eliminate waste through recycling, repair and re-purposing - and making more sustainable use of the resources we have without exploiting them further,” says Alzbeta Bouskova, General Manager of Ecogas. Once fully up and running, the Reporoa organics facility will be generating enough clean and renewable energy to power the equivalent of 2500 households and producing carbon-neutral bio-fertiliser for around 2000 hectares of local farmland. Biogas and heat from the plant will also be used to supercharge the growth of tomatoes at an adjacent T&G Global glasshouse operation. New Zealand has some catching up to do on organic waste processing technology, but the silver lining is that Ecogas has been able to draw on the very latest learnings from around the world to develop their ground-breaking facility at Reporoa.
| 11 New Zealand’s first large-scale food waste to bioenergy and biofertiliser plant at Reporoa includes a world-leading commercial scale food waste pasteuriser that is completely new to the New Zealand market. The innovative pasteuriser – supplied by HRS – is what makes it possible for the plant to safely convert waste food and garden organics into a value-add organic biofertiliser. The fully automated bespoke Digestate Pasteurisation System (DPS), supplied by HRS, has been designed to kill off any pathogens - such as salmonella, staphylococcus or e-coli – that could impact human, animal or plant health. It does this by using ‘waste heat’ from the site-based combined heat and power plants to treat the plant’s organic digestate material, heating it at more than 70degC for an hour before letting it cool for further use. As well as creating a first class biosolid, the whole process is incredibly energy efficient, with HRS DTI heat exchangers used to recover up to 70% of the heat energy required for the process. A dedicated team of project and automation engineers from HRS, which has been supporting New Zealand and Australia’s nascent bioenergy sector since 2015, is commissioning the system at Reporoa this month (October 2022), following installation in February. Once it is up and running, the plant’s operators will be trained on how to run the DPS, which can also be remotely monitored if required for updates and fault finding. As well, HRS has a dedicated local presence in New Zealand to support HRS installations. “It’s great to be installing our Digestate Pasteurisation System for the first time in New Zealand,” says Chris Little, Managing Director, HRS Heat Exchangers Australia. “We firmly believe that if renewable energy such as this is to reach its full potential globally then the whole production process needs to be as efficient as possible, and that includes getting the most benefit from the digestate in terms of using it as renewable organic fertiliser. The DPS ensures that digestate can be used in this way without the risk of spreading plant pathogens or similar.” HRS operates globally at the forefront of thermal technology, offering innovative and effective heat transfer products. As demonstrated by the Reporoa project, HRS provides a full wrap-around service from initial consultation through to manufacturing, installation, commissioning and after sales service. HRS externally mounted heat exchangers – whether as part of a DPS or for heating the digester itself – offer highly efficient process control and other key performance advantages, including: • Enormously increased heat transfer achieved using HRS’ performance-enhancing tube corrugations that require less surface area and pumping power than smooth tube heat exchangers. • Greater homogeneity in the thermal profile across the digester. • Unparalleled ease of access for maintenance and inspection. • Minimisation of cross-contamination risks between digestate and hot water circuits. • In the case of DPS, high rates of energy recovery. HRS has 40 years’ experience in the biogas and environmental sectors and operates a network of offices throughout the world as well as manufacturing plants in the UK, India, Spain and Canada. HRS pasteurisation system for bioenergy plant a first for NZ
12 | Waste to energy Organic waste from businesses and kerbside food and scrap collections throughout the Waikato and Auckland will be sent to the $30 million facility at Reporoa, from page 10 Ecogas: Food Waste Processing Facility REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT We’re making the most of your waste, converting it into renewable energy and preventing methane from being released into the atmosphere. NEW ZEALAND’S WASTE IS NOT BEING WASTED LMS Energy supports measures to increase recycling and reduce waste. However, while landfills exist, it’s vital that the potent greenhouse gases that they produce are captured and destroyed. Methane destruction is an important climate strategy to reduce the impact of the millions of tonnes of waste New Zealanders send to landfill each year. LMS Energy’s projects have abated greenhouse gases equivalent to more than 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide while powering 100,000 homes each day. Our projects are a win-win – not only reducing costs for our clients, councils and ratepayers, but improving the planet for generations to come. INFO@LMS.COM.AU LMSENERGY.CO.NZ BIOGAS INNOVATION. POWERING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY. LEADERS IN METHANE DESTRUCTION AND BIOENERGY PARTNERS WITH OVER 30 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS FULL IN-HOUSE BUSINESS MODEL 40 YEARS INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE ANAEROBIC DIGESTION AND ORGANICS RECYCLING COMBINED HEAT AND POWER SUPPLY SOLAR ON LANDFILL RENEWABLE GAS CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS LEACHATE SERVICES LMS ENERGY Australia’s leading bioenergy and emissions reduction company is pleased to be supporting the evolution of New Zealand’s circular economy by supplying innovative infrastructure to the Ecogas food waste-to-bioenergy facility at Reporoa. LMS Energy exists to protect the environment from climate change and is a leading methane destruction and bioenergy company. Across more than 60 sites in Australia, NZ and the US, LMS captures methane at land lls and converts it into clean renewable energy – or destroys it using ares. The company’s global portfolio of biogas projects generates enough renewable energy to power 100,000 homes each day. LMS is also Australia’s largest emissions reducer, annually abating greenhouse gases equivalent to more than four million tonnes of carbon dioxide. LMS was the rst Australian company to capture biogas for fuel use and, in 1990, was the rst to connect a biogas-to-electricity plant to the grid. Now LMS is leading the way once more, this time in New Zealand. While LMS’ current portfolio of biogas power stations generate renewable electricity, at Reporoa LMS technology will also be used to generate heat for the groundbreaking food waste-to-bioenergy facility. LMS will operate the combined heat and power plant in partnership with Ecogas. “This is a company- rst for us – it’s exciting,” says LMS General Manager Matthew Falzon. “LMS will build, own and maintain the plant - the rst time that we have supplied two commodities (heat and power) to an organics processing facility. Typically, LMS’ bioenergy facilities only supply electricity, which is either exported to the grid or utilised on-site to power infrastructure. “This project is a great example of the innovative culture that is embedded in LMS, and a culture that is driving diversi ed new technologies to protect the environment. Our projects are designed to minimise the effect of waste generation and utilise waste to supply clean, reliable energy.” For more than 40 years, LMS has driven the technological innovation required to ef ciently recover and convert organic waste into a valuable source of green energy to power communities. Today, LMS recovers biogas from more than 150 million tonnes of waste. LMS’ strategic vision is aligned with circular economy objectives and this is a key driver behind the company’s ongoing signi cant investment in new and improved approaches to waste management and renewable energy. “While the majority of our projects are in Australia, our presence in New Zealand is starting to grow, with four projects in the North Island and one in the South Island. The Reporoa project is a shining example of how to better utilise organic waste and is well aligned with LMS’ vision to be a world-leading bioenergy company, powering the circular economy.” LMS proud to be contributing to NZ’s sustainable future “It is to the credit of the Ecogas leadership that they leaned into the global experience in countries like the United Kingdom and Germany to pick the very best solutions to help design our facility. “Having that global expertise behind us gives us comfort, knowing that this process works and is tried and tested.” At the start of the organic waste processing chain is a consolidation facility in Auckland, where food waste will be inspected (and undesirable items removed). It will then be transported to Reporoa in line haul trucks. Alzbeta notes that these trucks are already used to transport aggregate from Taupō to Auckland, but usually return to Taupō empty; from now on, they will be carrying food waste on the return leg. (Hence, getting food waste to the plant does not mean any extra trucks on the road). Once at Reporoa, the food waste will be inspected again before going through a series of machines to screen out any metals or other contaminants. “By the end of pre-processing, the food waste resembles a thick soup with the consistency of a smoothie. It then goes into the biodigesters where the magic happens!” The Reporoa facility has three biodigesters, each with around 3500 cubic metres of active volume. Bacteria inside the biodigesters break down organic carbon into biogas (methane and CO2), with remaining nutrients left behind in liquid suspension, suitable for use as liquid biofertiliser. “We will use some of the biogas to generate electricity and heat for the facility. For example, to keep the digesters at the right temperature (approx. 37degC) and to run the pasteurisation process for the biofertiliser.” The plant will also supply renewable biogas to the local natural gas grid, as well as CO2 for T&G’s glasshouses. Sustainability leader - page 14
| 13 Ecogas: Food Waste Processing Facility The state-of-the-art plant, located at Reporoa in the central North Island, will turn 75,000 tonnes of organic waste into renewable clean energy and biofertiliser. REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT 73 Corbe� Road, Bell Block New Plymouth 4312 As a key supplier to the new Ecogas organics processing facility at Reporoa, Flexi Tanks New Zealand is playing a signi icant role in the development of this country’s irst large-scale waste-tobioenergy plant. The $30million facility is one of the most advanced clean bioenergy plants in the world. Once fully up and running, it will convert 75,000 tonnes of organic waste collected throughout the North Island each year into biogas, biofertiliser and electricity for commercial applications. Being involved in a state-of-the-art, commercial scale anaerobic digestion facility such as this is a irst for Flexi Tanks in the New Zealand market. Four Flexi Tanks, each with a capacity of 500,000 litres, have been installed at Reporoa. “We’re very excited to be a part of this groundbreaking project,” says Flexi Tanks NZ General Manager Andre Meier, who led the on-site installation of Flexi Tanks at Reporoa. “Our tanks will be used to store water that can then be fed into the anaerobic digester, as well as to store water for ire safety purposes. As well, Flexi Tanks are needed on this project to store liquid bio-fertiliser, produced out of the process, that will be used to fertilize local farmland.” Flexi Tanks are a tried-and-true solution for liquid storage, having been expertly Optimising liquid storage with Flexi Tanks NZ made in France since 1959. Andre’s father Anton and partner Jacky van der Poel have operated as the NZ distributor of Flexi Tanks for eight years, with Andre joining his mechanical expertise to the business several years ago. Based in Cambridge, they supply quality bladder tanks for water storage (in agricultural, horticultural and domestic settings) and for dairy farm e luent storage. Their tanks also have industrial applications in ire ighting and for storing liquid fertilisers and leachates. Each Flexi Tank is manufactured from multi-layered, rip-stop technical fabric with a high tensile strength, (450kg per 5cm). Flexi Tanks are fast and easy to install and come with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty. All that’s needed for installation is a level pad or platform. Tanks are then rolled out, connected up and illed. “Our tanks are transported in a compact form. That’s an important advantage in an emergency where a council or local project may need to urgently install a tank, because they are so easy to manoeuvre and set up. “It only takes three to four hours to install a Flexi Tank. It’s the most economical and reliable solution for storing between 50,000 litres and two million litres of water, leachate or e luent.”
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