An alternative fuel?

Fuel made from fats heading this way
04.04.06
By Chris Daniels

Bio-diesel brewed from Australian animal and vegetable fats could be flowing through New Zealand pumps by the end of this year, as Gull Petroleum moves to become the first energy company to sell the cleaner-burning fuel.

Geoff Gillott, country manager of Gull Petroleum in New Zealand, said bio-diesel went on sale this week in its Perth stations. Gull's B20 fuel blend has 20 per cent bio-diesel, with the rest made up of its premium low-sulphur diesel. Any reduction in carbon dioxide emissions depended on the proportion of bio-diesel to standard diesel.

The Australian company part-owns a bio-diesel plant in Queensland that makes it from animal fats (tallow) and vegetable fats such as palm oil and soy.

Mr Gillott said the bio-diesel in Perth was selling for 3c a litre cheaper than the standard diesel and he did not expect it to be sold for any price higher than existing diesel. The blend had "significantly reduced levels of sulphur", which meant it was better for the environment and burned more cleanly.

No date for the introduction of bio-diesel to the New Zealand market had been given, but Mr Gillott hoped it would be by the end of the year.

Bio-diesel is made from renewable resources and produced from a reaction of vegetable oil or animal fat mixed with alcohol. It emits 92 per cent less greenhouse gas than petroleum diesel.

And another one.

Waste gas set to power Rotorua
04.04.06 2.00pm
By Rebecca Devine

A project which will turn gas from Rotorua's landfill into power is on track to start generating electricity early next year. Construction on the power plant at the Atiamuri landfill is due to start in a few months and the plant should be producing energy in 2007.

It will be fuelled by landfill gas, a methane rich fuel which is produced by the natural decomposition of waste within the landfill. The project is a joint one between out-of-town company Green Energy and the Rotorua District Council and the two organisations are now calling for submissions on the project.

Green Energy director Bruce Carswell said the project had all the consents it needed but submissions were being called to gauge community feeling about the plant. The project was announced last September and will see Green Energy build and operate a 1.8MW gas electricity plant at the landfill.

The plant will produce enough power to supply the equivalent of that needed to light up 1800 homes, all from the gas of decomposing organic waste. About half of the electricity will go to local use or help prop up the national grid, which supplies power to homes around the country.

- DAILY POST (ROTORUA)

I am convinced that NZ will be always the leader in protecting the environment and with these initiatives, it clearly showed that.

Hooray!

Pulsarblu

Does anyone know if the NZ government subsidizes the use of solar panels? In the UK, the government is encouraging people to buy solar panels by reducing their cost to around £6,000. Is there a similar scheme in NZ?

One of the things we've discussed is that we'd be interested in buying solar panels with one of those turbine things if we could buy them for a combined cost of around £7,000 - as is the case in the UK. So for 2 houses (i.e. one house for me and my sister, and one house for my parents) it would cost us (i.e. my parents) around £14,000. I still think it'd be worth it as our electricity bills would become negligable and it would enable us to become more eco-friendly.


Tottefan.

Not sure if there are any incentives to install solar panels but I found some weblinks with useful information about NZ solar panel installers.

http://www.electricity.co.nz/solarhome.htm
http://www.electricity.co.nz/solaretc.htm

Pulsarblu

Not sure if there are any incentives to install solar panels but I found some weblinks with useful information about NZ solar panel installers.

The Solar Home
Renewable energy links

Pulsarblu

Thanks for those links. Looks quite expensive if you're earning NZ dollars, but should be fine with British pounds.


Tottefan.

Does anyone know if the NZ government subsidizes the use of solar panels?

In this they talk about interest free loans for installing solar panels.

Pulsarblu, thanks, I've included the links in the 'DIY and repairs around the house' category in the Master List. Perhaps I should rename the category to include things around the house that aren't DIY as well.

Beginning to look like a good option.

Fears grow for winter power supplies
06.04.06 1.00pm

The Electricity Commission has admitted its risk assessment of a power shortage this winter has been over-optimistic, National's energy spokesman Nick Smith said today. The commission has released new data that shows it previously had over-estimated how much power was available from the Huntly power station and the Waitaki river.

The reassessment increases the threshold at which power savings will be needed and when power cuts would take place. Actual storage is still above those levels at this point.

Dr Smith said it was "hugely significant" that the commission had lifted its levels by 15 per cent because it had over-forecast the amount of power available. "This change raises serious questions about the confidence people can have in the Electricity Commission," Dr Smith said.

This morning Economic Development Minister Trevor Mallard was the latest minister to assure the public that the electricity system should be able to meet demands this year. Mr Mallard said the Electricity Commission was keeping him up to date and he was "listening very carefully" regarding lake levels.

"While I'm currently advised that we can expect the electricity system to be able to meet the demands placed on it this year, I acknowledge that the margins are getting very tight and the situation could get worse."

Former energy minister David Parker had said there would be no rolling blackouts this winter.

Dr Smith said those assurances were based on incorrect advice.

"It is now highly likely that a consumer savings campaign will be required to help avoid blackouts," Dr Smith said.

Risk of power blackouts grows
07 April 2006
By JAMES WEIR

The power shortage is worse than expected, the Government's electricity watchdog admits and it has started early work on a public power savings campaign. Power generation is limited because a continuing drought in the South Island means hydro power lake levels are now half their normal level for the time of year.

The Electricity Commission has revised the amount of power it expects to be available in coming weeks, raising the risks of the third winter power shortage in just five years. National's energy spokesman, Nick Smith, said the commission had admitted its earlier risk assessment of the amount of power available had been over-optimistic.

"This change raises serious questions about the confidence people can have in the Electricity Commission," Dr Smith said.

Falling lake levels in the South Island have raised concerns about possible blackouts, but acting Energy minister Trevor Mallard said that at this stage there should be enough electricity. However, "margins are getting very tight and the situation could get worse," he told an energy forum yesterday morning.

Four weeks ago, commission chairman Roy Hemmingway dismissed Meridian Energy chief Keith Turner's concerns that power supplies would be tight this winter, describing them as a "myth". Yesterday, Mr Hemmingway said there was a much higher risk than even a month ago but the risks remained only "moderate".

The commission's revised power estimate puts hydro power lake levels extremely close to the commission's so called "minzone" – an early warning level – and much closer to the "emergency zone" of lake store levels.Power consultant Bryan Leyland said that meant the safety margins in the power system were now "very small indeed". "If one of our big power plants had a breakdown, we would immediately be in serious trouble," he said yesterday. In that event, there was the potential for blackouts, whereas in the past, a big plant could be down for a long period without trouble. "We are beyond that (prudent safety) margin now," he said. Meridian Energy agreed there would be "a problem" if a big power station broke down.

"We are running so close, all we need is some component to fall over, then we have problems," Meridian spokesman Alan Seay said. The risks were now greater if there were a big power plant failure, but it would have to be for a period of months, and even then blackouts would not be inevitable, Mr Hemmingway said. If the severe drought around the South Island hydro lakes continued, "things could get much more difficult" he said. "If we get a record drought, we will be in some trouble – or we could be. If we get average rainfall, we will be fine."

A power savings campaign was not yet inevitable and it was too early for him to call one yet. But the commission had started "initial work" on the timing of a campaign.

Cooking oil a vehicle for change
10 April 2006
By ADRIAN BATHGATE

Most drivers groan when they see the price of petrol inch up at the pumps – but not David Renwick. His car runs on used cooking oil refined into biodiesel. With fuel prices rising steadily, he's looking to cash in by providing a cheap, renewable fuel source. He's built the business from a garage-based operation four years ago into an assembly line for converting vehicles as well as a research and development lab.

Now he is trying to raise awareness of the environmentally friendly, renewable alternative to oil. In fact, Mr Renwick spent the weekend attempting to convert petrol-heads into biofuel-heads, at the 2 Hot 2 Handle motor show in Wellington. "Over the last 12 months, we've seen a lot of people nervous about the cost of fuel, and they're looking elsewhere. It's starting to make a big impact on people's lives," Mr Renwick said.

Envirocar is running cars on envirofuel, an alternative to traditional fuel, refined from cooking oil. It works only on diesel vehicles, and a $4000 conversion is required. Envirocar makes and sells the fuel, which it sources from the likes of Hells Pizza and Burger Wisconsin. The cost is 69 cents a litre, 40 per cent cheaper than the current cost of diesel, and Envirocar says it is 15 to 25 per cent more efficient.

Mr Renwick wants to expand the business, currently in Auckland and Wellington, so envirofuel users can refuel throughout the country. Envirocar-converted vehicles have a separate tank for ordinary diesel as a back-up in case drivers are caught short. Any diesel-powered machine, whether heavy vehicle, boat or electricity generator, can run on envirofuel.

Envirocar is supported by Korean car maker SSangYong and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, which has just invested $93,000 in boosting the operation from backyard to production line. There are about 20 vehicles running on envirofuel, but with the new conversion facility about to open, Envirocar is geared up to handle many more.

The facility, just north of Wellington, will look at other applications besides fuel production and biodiesel conversion, including power generation and home and office heating. "We've gone a bit bigger than we ever dreamed of 12 months ago," he said. The technology could be exported, Mr Renwick said.

"Getting it from a garage operation to a mass-produced conversion kit (is) a dream come true."