Biomass Availability Assessments for EECA’s Regional Energy Transition Accelerator
The Task at Hand:
Decarbonising process heat - particularly in industrial sectors - poses a significant challenge, especially in regions where fossil fuel use remains high and the infrastructure for alternatives is limited. In response to this, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) launched the Regional Energy Transition Accelerator (RETA) programme, aiming to map out what is needed to transition industrial process heat users from fossil fuels at a regional level.
Whirika was selected as the lead contractor for the biomass work stream of this programme, a vital component given the importance of biomass in replacing fossil fuels for process heat. The key challenge was to evaluate and estimate the availability of bioenergy resources across multiple regions in New Zealand. This required a detailed understanding of the forestry landscape, existing industrial users, and potential biomass supply chains—all while ensuring stakeholder buy-in and data credibility.
RETA biomass availability assessments South Island
Our Contribution:
To meet EECA’s objectives, Whirika developed a comprehensive methodology using both top-down and bottom-up approaches to estimate regional biomass availability and map bioenergy flows.
Key components of the approach included:
Example of a bioenergy flow map based on interviews and discussions with forest owners and wood processors.
Scope Definition: Understanding regional forestry dynamics by identifying forest area by age and species, key forest owners, major wood processors, and existing users of biomass (e.g., MDF, pulp, or other mills). Additional sources such as wilding pines, landfills, and ports were also considered.
Top-Down Assessment: Analysis of national wood flow data, conversion studies, and other reported data to estimate regional bioenergy supply.
Bottom-Up Assessment: On-the-ground data collection through interviews with forest owners, managers, and wood processors. These discussions uncovered critical insights into committed log volumes, log grades, supply chain challenges, and operational limitations.
Volume Forecasting and Mapping: Integration of all sources to estimate bioenergy availability over a 15-year period and map out bioenergy flows within each region.
Review and Validation Process:
Internal review by Whirika to verify consistency and accuracy.
External review by EECA’s internal team, who provided feedback and sought clarifications.
Stakeholder review by regional forest owners, conducted in a group setting. Their feedback was incorporated where justified, helping to validate and enhance the credibility of the estimates.
Results:
Once completed nationwide, EECA’s RETA programme will have assessed over 700 industrial sites responsible for nearly six million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.
Our key deliverables on this project included:
Estimating biomass availability across regions for the next 15–30 years.
Calculating the delivered cost of biomass from various sources.
Mapping bioenergy flows to show where and how biomass can be utilized.
Conducting interviews with forest owners, processors, and mills to identify both barriers and opportunities in the biomass supply chain.
Reviewing air emissions policies related to biomass boiler use.
EECA has acknowledged the RETA programme as one of the most detailed, robust, and commercially focused process heat decarbonisation initiatives globally. Whirika has been the primary service provider for the biomass stream since 2022 and is proud to have contributed to such a forward-thinking and impactful national programme.