Living Energy were commissioned to provide a detailed analysis of the pro's and con's of making a switch from diesel to wood at the Paraparaumu sludge drying plant.  Owned and operated by Kapiti Coast District Council, the plant gets through around $575,000 of diesel each year drying sewage sludge - the switch to wood could reduce this annual bill to a little over $100,000.

Our detailed modeling demonstrated to the Council that the project - the replacement of their diesel-fired boiler with a modern, fully automated wood-fired system - could save them not only hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in operating costs, but would also reduce carbon dioxide emissions across the Council's operations by a massive 22%.

Looking forward over a 15 year period, the savings translate to in excess of $8.5 million dollars, enabling the Council to keep rates low or invest in new projects to improve the lives of those living in Kapiti Coast.  An added benefit to the wider region would be that the fuel required for the system would come from within a very short distance of the plant, generating and retaining wealth in the local economy and creating supply-chain jobs.

The Council liked what they read so much that they applied to the EECA Wood Energy Grant Scheme for capital assistance (the same scheme had already paid for the study) for the project.  The Council secured the full $200,000 on offer for the project, and met the balance with a loan from the EECA Crown Loan Energy Efficiency Scheme.  This effectively means that the Council can fund the project without needing to find a cent up front!

You can download the full report from the Biomass Knowledge Centre website.