Clean technology: Biodiesel plant's new lease of life

Photo / Getty

Last month the newly formed Green Fuels NZ Limited completed the purchase of Biodiesel New Zealand Ltd's (BDNZ) Christchurch biodiesel production facilities from Solid Energy. Green Fuels NZ Limited has been established by two former BDNZ employees, Martin Johnson and Karl Hatton. Johnson was recently the fuel business manager while Hatton was the production manager.

"Both Karl and I are passionate about making and supplying environmentally friendly fuels and - when the opportunity came to purchase the business - both of us jumped for it," explains Johnson.

Green Fuels NZ Ltd will continue to produce and market Biogold™ branded biodiesel from recycled vegetable oil. Current production is around 600,000 litres per annum, with potential capacity at the plant for 4m litres. Customers include Stark Bros, Leopard Coachlines, Fulton Hogan, City Care, Okains Bay Longline, Apparelmaster and the Christchurch City Council. Hopefully they can succeed where Solid Energy failed.