New Zealand 'has opportunity to utilise biofuel'

Surplus land should be utilised to produce biodiesel that can help increase energy resources, it has been claimed.

Writing for Sciblogs, executive officer of the Bioenergy Association of New Zealand (BANZ) Brian Cox explained how the country could be doing more to promote economic growth.

It was suggested that pine trees are a great way to produce biodiesel with little waste being left over.

"For biodiesel, we already have demand outstripping supply, as we've approached a capacity issue and investment in additional plant is now necessary," Mr Cox stated.

He commented that New Zealand should be "consolidating what we do now" and warned that failure to look ahead could mean the opportunity for bioenergy is overlooked.

The expert claimed that now is the time to build plants capable of converting the country's vast forests into a fuel resource so the units will be ready to launch in the forthcoming years.

BANZ aims to encourage the use of New Zealand's "abundant biomass resources" to provide renewable energy.