EECA congratulates Queenstown for reaching biodiesel milesto

EECA congratulates Queenstown for reaching biodiesel milestone

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) congratulates the Queenstown Lakes Biodiesel Consortium on reaching its first year milestone.

The consortium was set up by Otago Polytechnic’s Centre for Sustainable Practice to supply biodiesel blends to the Queenstown area, with assistance from EECA.

“The Queenstown group has been a trailblazer by being the first in the country to set up this kind of arrangement, which has provided local businesses with the chance to use a more environmentally-friendly transport fuel,” EECA CEO Mike Underhill says.

“Queenstown’s success has inspired other regions to follow suit – Marlborough now has a similar consortium in place; Dunedin and Rotorua are in the process of being finalised, while Nelson, Tauranga, Wanaka and Auckland are at earlier stages of development.”

The Queenstown facility has sold more than 100,000 litres of fuel over the year, and has 20 Queenstown businesses signed up to access the fuel.

Switching to a biodiesel blend is an easy way for businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, Mr Underhill says. Many of the Queenstown businesses now using biodiesel blends are involved in tourism, with transport being a significant component of their activity.

“All biodiesel for sale in New Zealand is produced in New Zealand, either from used cooking oil, from rapeseed oil (canola) grown as a break crop, or from tallow (a by-product of the meat industry).

“EECA is assisting the uptake of biodiesel in New Zealand by supporting consortia like the Queenstown one, and by administering the Biodiesel Grants Scheme, which assists the producers of biodiesel.

“We also provide information about the sustainability of biofuels in general on the EECA website so consumers can see how they are made, and understand their environmental benefits.”

EECA recommends that vehicle owners check with their vehicle or engine manufacturer, and specialists with expertise in the field, about the level of blend that is suitable for their vehicle or vessel.

ENDS

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