Information Sheet 19: Producing energy from rural land

Unlocking new revenue streams for rural landowners

Growth in New Zealand's bioenergy sector is starting to drive an increased demand for greater quantities of biomass. Whether it is high quality wood fuel, biomass for transport fuels or production of biogas. New Zealand's landowners are very well placed to meet the demand and take advantage of this emerging opportunity.

The opportunities that exist include:

• Wood fuel

Government, with the forestry and wood processing sector, have developed an Industry Development Plan 1 that sets out the wide range of opportunities which landowners can obtain from wood.

Wood fuel produced on farms can be used for the production of heat or as a feedstock for the emerging transport biofuels market and can be produced from small or large woodlots, shelter belts and purpose grown biomass crops, horticultural prunnings and crop stubble. The growing or sourcing of these materials can all be integrated with traditional land uses and become important revenue streams for the landowner.

• Organic matter

Landowners are often in a situation where they produce organic matter which becomes a waste. Integrating bioenergy solutions into traditional land use activities can turn this waste into a valuable resource. Such organic wastes will include animal wastes, dairy shed effluent, piggery wastes, agriculture crop residues, stable manure, poultry farm wastes and any on-farm animal processing materials.