At Clarus, we want Kiwis to keep enjoying the benefits of gas while we all move toward a lower carbon emissions future.
This project is more than just renewable energy, it’s a step toward a circular economy, where waste becomes a resource and sustainability powers progress. By rethinking how we handle food and organic waste, we’re helping create New Zealand's low carbon energy future.
*Calculation based on 22GJ p.a. average for a residential consumer. Estimated max production is 160TJ = 7,200 houses.
Ecogas’ Reporoa Organics Facility processes 75,000 tonnes of organic waste annually.
First Renewables Biomethane upgrade facility can produce enough renewable gas to supply 7,200 households each year, eliminating 11,000 tonnes of CO2 a year*.
Biogas is a renewable energy source and is made through a process called anaerobic digestion which processes organic wastes such as:
Food waste from homes and businesses
Farm and agricultural waste
Wastewater and sewage treatment
In New Zealand, biogas is produced on farms, at wastewater treatment facilities, and from household food waste at Ecogas’ Reporoa Processing Facility.
Biomethane is a renewable gas made from cleaned and upgraded biogas and chemically the same as natural gas but with a much smaller carbon footprint.
No. Biomethane is chemically the same as natural gas, so it can be used in existing stoves, heaters and hot-water systems with no changes needed.
Once upgraded, the biomethane is injected into the same gas pipes that already supply many homes and businesses. That means lower-emissions gas using the pipeline infrastructure we already have.
Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is a natural process where micro-organisms break down organic waste such as food scraps, farm waste and sewerage. This produces two valuable resources:
Digestate – is a nutrient rich substance which can be used as fertiliser.
Biogas – is collected in the bubble on top of the digester and can be used for heating and electricity generation.
Just like natural gas, biomethane can be stored and used when needed, so it helps meet electricity demand during cold evenings or peak times and works alongside renewable electricity to keep the energy system secure and reliable.
Yes. New Zealand already produces biomethane at a small scale at the First Renewable’s (part of Clarus) biogas upgrade facility in Reporoa.