Plans by the Te Puke Economic Development Group to build a $150million Waste to Energy and Biofuels plant at Rangiuru are going ahead.

Graphic of a UK biofuel plant

Stakeholders recently approved raising $20,000 to prepare a submission to the Waste Minimisation Fund for the money to prepare a comprehensive feasibility study and business plan for a project expected to eventually employ up to 150 people.

The plant will convert municipal solid waste (MSW), green waste and sludge to biofuels and/or energy.

The Western BOP's rubbish is currently taken to landfill at a cost of about $35million per year. By converting municipal and other waste streams to biofuels using a steam reforming process, the project will convert a cost to a profit.

Te Puke EDG in association with Ambient Energy made a presentation to central, regional and local government politicians and staff, landowners, senior management from Affco, Zespri, KiwiRail, Comvita, Post Harvest and other business and industry leaders who were taken through a technology offering and a strategy with the intention of progressing the concept to a large scale business.

'This would deliver value to our community through the construction period and long term sustainable benefits through the creation of approximately 150 jobs and the on-going sale of value added products,” says TPEDG managing director Mark Boyle.

'It would add diversity to our local economy and position us as a national leader in the development and delivery of innovative green and sustainable economic development.”

Following the consultancy stage, the project will raise capital, possibly through a public-private partnership with ratepayer, and private partner investment.

'Feedback from recent Smart Growth presentations in our district has overwhelmingly been in favour of kick staring the Rangiuru Industrial Park,” says Mark.

'The proposal we floated, fits perfectly with this.”

Further information on the Te Puke Economic Development Group can be found at www.tpedg.co.nz