New Zealand develops first biogas-powered rubbish truck
In Auckland, New Zealand, Mayor Len Brown has started the nation’s first biogas-powered truck, in what is a joint venture between Transpacific, Greenlane Biogas, Dieselgas International and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).
The truck, which has been developed for the purpose of collecting rubbish, has undergone 24 months of research and testing and is almost ready to begin operating full-time in the Rodney region.
The biogas needed to power the vehicle is collected from the Redvale Energy Park landfill site, which has the potential to produce 54 million litres of diesel equivalent each year.
The methane produced at the landfill is also being converted into electricity and supplied to around 11,000 households.
Tom Nickels, Redvale’s managing director, explained: ‘Extracting biogas from waste, whether it’s human waste, household, industrial or agricultural waste, is a huge environmental opportunity for Auckland and for New Zealand.’
The truck, which has been developed for the purpose of collecting rubbish, has undergone 24 months of research and testing and is almost ready to begin operating full-time in the Rodney region.
The biogas needed to power the vehicle is collected from the Redvale Energy Park landfill site, which has the potential to produce 54 million litres of diesel equivalent each year.
The methane produced at the landfill is also being converted into electricity and supplied to around 11,000 households.
Tom Nickels, Redvale’s managing director, explained: ‘Extracting biogas from waste, whether it’s human waste, household, industrial or agricultural waste, is a huge environmental opportunity for Auckland and for New Zealand.’
