Trees for Biomass/Energy
- Light my fire (Access: unrestricted)
Hamish Levack, February 2019
During a field day at the Hokitika conference in 2016 we heard about the value of growing some trees for firewood, a concept which was at odds with those growing…
- Growing a bio-fuelled New Zealand (Access: unrestricted)
Michelle Harnett, May 2018
Put a tree into the tank of your tractor, or truck, or even your private jet. Large-scale biofuel production and use in New Zealand is within our grasp, if we…
- Consequences of the current fall in energy prices (Access: unrestricted)
Wink Sutton, May 2015
On 17 December 2014 the New Zealand ethical investment company Prometheus collapsed and was put into receivership. The company invested in renewable energy areas such as bioenergy, solar and wind…
- The need for fuel wood (Access: unrestricted)
Wink Sutton, November 2014
On a recent cruise we visited several countries in the Middle East including India and Egypt. As a forester I was well aware of the absence of trees but very…
- Developing a wood energy industry in Central Otago (Access: unrestricted)
Rhys Millar, August 2014
Wood energy for heating has been around for a long time and most New Zealanders will be familiar with drying and storing wood for winter, preparing and starting the fire,…
- Realising the opportunities for biofuels and bioproducts (Access: unrestricted)
Peter Morgan, August 2012
The one-day conference I attended was mainly about bringing together as many existing and potential stakeholders in all areas of bio-activity as they relate to the forest industry sector. Presentations…
- Bioenergy demonstration planting, Bay of Plenty (Access: unrestricted)
Ian Nicholas and Kevin Snowdon, May 2011
As part of a Sustainable Farming Fund project evaluating willow as a feedstock for ethanol production in the Taupo area, a demonstration planting was established in 2006 on Whakapoungakau Lands…
- Hardwood in effluent schemes (Access: unrestricted)
Ian Nicholas, Angus Gordon, Stephen Pearce and Marie Heaphy, November 2010
The treatment of waste water is of increasing value to land managers, local councils and small communities in New Zealand. Trees have been used for waste water treatment at various…
- Willow biomass in the Taupo region (Access: unrestricted)
Ian Nicholas, Kevin Snowdon and Ian McIvor, November 2010
The growth of shrub willows have been investigated for bioenergy and as a biopolymer resource in the Taupo area since 2004. Background information and some results have been presented in…
- Energy farming with willow near Taupo (Access: unrestricted)
Ian McIvor, Ian Nicholas and Kevin Snowdon, February 2009
The end of cheap oil now is a reality and there is growing evidence of the connection between climate change and carbon emissions’, wrote David Wright, chairman of the New…
- Forest residues for bioenergy (Access: unrestricted)
Peter Hall, November 2007
After forest harvesting there is inevitably material left behind that is not suitable for selling as logs. Rather than leave this to rot, there are a number of ways in…
- Short rotation coppice willow as low carbon bioenergy farming (Access: unrestricted)
Ian McIvor, November 2007
Bioenergy is not new. Before the invention of the steam engine and internal combustion engine society was dependent on horsepower of a different kind − the real horsepower. Horses needed biofuel…
- Biofuel from biomass – a future opportunity? (Access: unrestricted)
Rick Swan, November 2006
Apart from a brief respite in the price of oil in recent months, the price has generally been escalating. There is reason to believe that peak oil production has been…
- Transitioning to a low carbon energy future: Brian Cox's Blog, June 27, 2019
The talk of transitioning to a low carbon energy future seems to be more about continuing the status quo rather than actually having a transformation. It seems also to be…
- Christchurch hospital will soon be using biomass fuel: Brian Cox's Blog, March 11, 2019
The decision by the Canterbury District Health Board and the Government to install two biomass fuelled boilers at Christchurch hospital to replace the existing coal fuelled boilers demonstrates the increasing…
- Residues as fuel: Brian Cox's Blog, February 18, 2019
The decision by the Government of British Columbia to introduce policy reforms which require greater added value processing of wood within Canada, rather than export of unprocessed logs, shows that…
- Biomass as energy: Rik Deaton's Blog, September 05, 2016
I have a strong interest in the biomass-as-energy-source sector of renewable energy generation and I see it as inevitable that this country’s incomprehensible barriers to uptake will shortly be torn…
- New strategies for expansion of the bioenergy and biofuels market: Brian Cox's Blog, August 17, 2016
Recent work to identify the amount of greenhouse gas emission reductions that the bioenergy sector could contribute to achievement of the Paris climate change emission reduction targets has shown that…
- Bioenergy opportunities for New Zealand's future energy needs
Bioenergy Association (Press release),
September 2010 (Access: unrestricted)
Within 30 years, more than a quarter of New Zealand's energy needs and nearly a third of our transport fuels could come from energy crops and materials that are currently…
- Govt now needs to focus on its Energy Efficiency Strategy June 2017
The Bioenergy Association says it’s pleased the Government’s refresh of the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy (NZEECS) focuses on the heat and transport opportunities available across New Zealand…
- Energy from wood is good for NZ and the climate
Scion, August 2018
- Bioenergy options for New Zealand: Research and development strategy
Jack, M. and P. Hall (2009).
- Wood energy, EECA business
- Energy Farming with Willow in New Zealand
Snowdon, K., McIvor, I., & Nicholas, I. (2010).
SFF project report reviewing the potential for willow grown for biomass as a farm crop, especially around Lake Taupo.
- Bioenergy from sustainable forestry: Principles and practice. Proceedings of IEA Bioenergy Task 18 Workshop, 16-20 October, 2000, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
FRI Bulletin No. 223, Richardson, J., R. Bjorheden, P. Hakkila, A. T. Lowe and C. T. Smith (2000)
- Developing systems for integrating bioenergy into environmentally sustainable forestry: Proceedings of the International Energy Agency, Bioenergy Agreement Task 18, 7-11 September 1998, Nokia, Finland
FRI Bulletin No. 211, Lowe, A. T. and C. T. Smith (1999).
- The firewood venture: Planning, execution, evaluation
FRI Bulletin No. 137. Shula, R. G., A. E. Hay and G. L. Tarlton, 1993
Farm Forestry - Headlines
Article archive »
- Forest Owners say native trees are nice but won’t solve the Climate Emergency
Tuesday, May 17, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says the just released Emissions Reduction Plan is a welcome and unprecedented blueprint for reducing New Zealand’s gross emissions. But the Association is warning that a…
- ‘Smart spade’ one of new technologies for forest silviculture project
Thursday, May 05, 2022
A ‘smart spade’ which identifies exactly where to plant a tree seedling is just one of the new technologies in the seven-year $25.5 million Precision Silviculture development project. The newly…
- Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India
Monday, April 11, 2022
Forest Owners call for forest trade mission to India following approval of new fumigant for log exports The Forest Owners Association wants a delegation of government ministers to urgently go to…
- Forest Owners and Federated Farmers mourn passing of former Chief Executive of both organisations
Sunday, April 03, 2022
The pastoral and forest industries are mourning the recent passing of Rob McLagan, who served as Chief Executive of both Federated Farmers and the Forest Owners Association. Rob was CE…
- Joint efforts under way after unwanted pest detected in Tauranga
Wednesday, March 30, 2022
Biosecurity New Zealand is working with primary sector and Te Tiriti partners after a single confirmed egg mass belonging to the moth pest the fall armyworm was found in Tauranga.…
- Forest Biosecurity update March 2022
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Check out the latest Biosecurity newsletter which gives an update on the biosecurity surveillance system, pitch pine canker, red needle cast, tortoise beetles, a new ladybird (always good) and the…
- Forest Owners says IPCC doesn't back Anne Salmond
Wednesday, March 02, 2022
The Forest Owners Association says highly qualified reservations in the latest International Panel on Climate Change report, do not back anthropologist Anne Salmond’s claims that New Zealand should switch exclusively…
- Forest Owners puzzled at overseas investment reform
Thursday, February 24, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is asking why the government needs to reintroduce more process around overseas investment for conversions from pasture to plantation forests. The Associate Minister of Finance, David…
- Forest Owners tell government to look across the Tasman
Monday, February 21, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is telling the government that Australia’s support of plantation forestry is in sharp contrast to the increasingly restrictive measures being promised in New Zealand by our…
- The folly of the native forest carbon solution
Monday, February 21, 2022
The Farm Forestry Association says anthropologist Dame Anne Salmond’s recently publicised views, that planting native forests offer the best solution to the climate crisis, is misinformed and misleading. Association President Graham West says the overwhelming…
- Forestry Minister has strategic leadership opportunity in farm forestry
Friday, February 04, 2022
The Farm Forestry Association says Forestry Minister, Stuart Nash, should incentivise farmers to plant more trees to combat climate change. Association President Graham West asks, “Why isn’t the government working…
- Forest Owners challenge Federated Farmers to prove misleading carbon farming claims
Tuesday, February 01, 2022
The Forest Owners Association is telling Federated Farmers that it needs to educate itself about how the Overseas Investment Act works before making any more false claims about non-existent overseas…
- Further tax changes possible
Monday, January 17, 2022
Changes are possible to the ‘cost of standing timber’ provisions of the Income Tax Act. Farm Forestry members have been working to help willing owners aggregate their forests for economies…
- Forest Owners say Fish and Game barking up the wrong tree
Thursday, December 09, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says Fish and Game’s criticism of exotic plantation forests doesn’t accord with reality. “Fish and Game is, quite simply, barking up the wrong tree when it…
- Changing causes and impacts of unwanted fires in our forest and rural landscapes
Friday, December 03, 2021
Commercial forests and climate change are regularly cited as contributors to an increase in unwanted rural fires in New Zealand. However, evidence suggests other factors are exacerbating the causes and…
- Consultation opens for registration of forestry advisers and log traders
Thursday, November 25, 2021
Key players in the forestry industry are encouraged to have their say on the design of a new registration system for log traders and forestry advisors with consultation opening today.…
- Forest Owners says lessons for New Zealand in UN Wood-Based Products Report
Friday, November 19, 2021
The Forest Owners Association says the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has laid down a blueprint for the New Zealand forest and wood industry, with the release of ‘Forest Products…
- New Zealand Forest Owners sign on to International Wood Manifesto leading into COP26
Thursday, October 28, 2021
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association has joined 17 other forest and timber organisations around the world in launching the International Wood Manifesto in London, to lead into the crucial…
- Forest Owners say ‘back the bat’
Tuesday, October 26, 2021
The Forest Owners Association is urging its members and the public to vote for the pekapeka – the Long-Tailed Bat - in the Forest and Bird sponsored Bird of the…
- Forest Owners says extra planting ‘just as well’ given slippage on carbon reduction targets
Friday, October 15, 2021
The Forest Owners Association is saying that foresters’ intentions to plant more trees is an immediate and practical insurance against New Zealand not achieving greenhouse gas reduction goals. The Association…
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