Ecogas welcomes Environment Canterbury resource consent for its Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility
15 August 2025
Christchurch is a big step closer to having its household organic waste transformed into bioenergy and fertiliser with Environment Canterbury’s decision to grant Ecogas a resource consent for its proposed Ōtautahi Christchurch Regional Organics Processing Facility.
Ecogas CEO Peter McClean welcomed the decision to grant the resource consent for its proposed facility in a Hornby industrial estate.
Ecogas was awarded the contract from Christchurch City Council in December 2023 to provide an organics processing solution for kerbside and garden organics.
The proposed Hornby facility combines anaerobic digestion (AD) technology and biomass processing to provide renewable energy and fertiliser products for Canterbury industry and agriculture. The project is on track to start processing organic waste from early 2027.
Mr McClean said the facility has been designed to minimise any environmental impact, with all organic materials received and pre-processed within a fully enclosed building. Air from these areas is treated through a comprehensive ventilation and emissions control system.
He said comprehensive consent conditions to ensure these protections are effective include:
· Limits on the types of organic material the plant can process
· Requirements for odour control and treatment from the processing activities
· Ongoing monitoring and reporting of emissions from the site to ensure compliance and transparency
Together, these measures ensure the facility operates to high environmental standards and with minimal impact on the surrounding community.
Mr McClean said Ecogas has valued the community engagement and feedback to date and looks forward to continuing to develop these relationships as the site becomes operational.
Ecogas is a fully New Zealand-owned company with a vision to close the food and energy loop for a sustainable future. Ecogas partners with businesses and councils, mana whenua in asset locations, First Gas for distribution and Scion and Lincoln University for research.
Ecogas has operated an organics processing facility at Reporoa in the central North Island for Auckland’s household organic waste since October 2021.
In July, Ecogas was recognised globally, winning the AD Hero of the Year at the prestigious 2025 AD and Biogas Industry Awards. Presented at the World Biogas Summit & Expo in Birmingham, the UK award recognises global excellence in the anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas sector.
About Ecogas
Established in October 2022, EcoGas is a partnership between renewable energy leader Pioneer Energy and organic waste recovery specialists Ecostock Limited. The partnership aims to close the food and energy loop in New Zealand by taking food waste from residential, commercial and industrial sources and transforming it into renewable forms of energy and fertiliser.
Their combined expertise powers a circular solution for organic waste:
· 75,000 tonnes of organic waste processed annually (scaling to 100,000 tonnes by 2026)
· Waste sources include kerbside food scraps from Auckland Council and commercial/industrial organics diverted from landfill
· 600 GJ of biomethane produced daily, injected into national gas infrastructure via First Renewables
· Bio-CO₂ supplied to T&G Fresh for their tomato glasshouses, allowing them to turn off their natural gas fired boiler, using Bio-CO₂ for crop production
· Nutrient-rich digestate shared with local farmers as sustainable biofertiliser
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ecogasnz/
https://www.facebook.com/ecogasNZ
For more information contact:
Tim Marshall
Wright Communications
E tim@wrightcommunications.co.nz
M 021 902 850