Still Struggling After Earthquakes, Christchurch Ponders the Status of Algal-Biofuel Project

In the aftermath of devastating earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand—which leveled the local sewage system and the Bromley wastewater treatment plant—a public meeting will be held next week to discuss the status of the algal-biofuel trials that had been in progress at the facility since 2009.

As reported on Scoop, Chris Bathurst, engineer of the Algal-Biofuel Feedstock Project, will speak on the prospects for sustainable fuel self-sufficiency in Christchurch, the Canterbury region, and New Zealand as a whole.

The algae project received much media attention as a sustainable positive for Christchurch, before earthquake damage shut it down. The initiative was implemented as a public-private partnership among Solray Energy of New Zealand, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), and the Christchurch City Council.

The Bromley trial pond, where the algae colonies grew, is currently out of commission. It will be repaired under insurance coverage once only, but the date of recomission is indefinite.

However Solray’s Super Critical Water Reactor system—where the algae colonies had been heated above 300°C to convert them into biofuel— has been proven ready to go into increased production through an expanded site and plant.

“We need to know what will happen next with the City's wastewater system, as a range of more sustainable outcomes are possible in the rebuild,” said Rik Tindall of Sustainable Canterbury, a collaborative group that backs climate conservation. “Chris is a top local expert in the renewable energy field, so we are keen to hear an update from him in light of Christchurch's recent natural disaster. The public – especially those in Christchurch East – have a huge stake in the infrastructure renewal we now must go though.”

Tindall sees sustainable fuel as much more than a Christchurch City issue. “We need to factor in the global need for change, toward carbon capture and innovation for new jobs that will be funded by the international carbon market,” hesitated “Sustainable use of natural resources is both possible and very desirable, bringing new industry and opportunity for unemployed youth in particular.

“This means, primarily, doing an accurate balance sheet on all of society's waste,” Tindall concludes. “Organic waste and woody weeds can all be integrated into a renewable fuel plan.”