Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility

Ecogas is coming to Christchurch!

Ecogas has designed a bespoke, dual solution bioenergy facility to transform organic waste from kerbside collections, commercial and industrial operations into renewable energy and biofertiliser.

The Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility will feature biomass processing combined with anaerobic digestion and will be located in an Industrial Heavy zoned site in South Hornby. The location has been carefully chosen to optimise transport, be close to collections agents, customers and critical infrastructure, while providing opportunities for the surrounding businesses to move to a renewable energy source.

Rendering of the Ecogas Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility as viewed from Aruhe Road.

Key Information:

In October 2024 Christchurch City Council granted land use consent at 17-21 Aruhe Road – view it here (reference number RMA/2024/2050).

The proposal is also contingent on a resource consent from Environment Canterbury (reference number CRC250284). Questions about the Environment Canterbury resource consent process should be directed to Environment Canterbury to answer.

Capacity: The Facility has the capacity to receive 100,000 tonnes of organic waste every year. The site design includes four large tanks with space set aside for a fifth tank. The biomass processing line has flexibility and additional capacity to take the peaks over and above the average capacity. This will allow for future development if required.

Site Area: The Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility will be built over 3 Hectares. The site has been designed to maximise space and allow for future growth. It is a compact operation, especially when compared to the space required for landfills or composting.

Bespoke Solution: This Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility is the next evolution of the Ecogas design based on the need to supply a bespoke solution to the city and surrounding region. The dual solution will utilise the anaerobic digestion tanks for the wetter materials including the kerbside collections. The more fibrous greenwaste streams will be run through our biomass processing line, creating another source of renewable fuel for industry.

Timeline: The Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility will start taking organic waste from the end of 2026.

As the project develops we will continue to add information to this page, but if you have any questions, please contact us.

Learn more about Anaerobic Digestion

If you’d like to learn more about anaerobic digestion, visit our How it Works page for an overview of the process.

Alternatively, if you’d like to learn more about our services or products, get in touch with our team.

News & updates

As the project progresses, we will be posting updates in our News section and on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

Frequently Asked Questions: Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility

  • The Organics Processing Facility (OPF) will be located at Aruhe Road, South Hornby, in an industrial estate zoned for heavy industrial activity.

  • The Ecogas plant is primarily an energy production facility that converts organic waste into energy (gas, heat, and electricity) and digestate (fertiliser). It uses a completely different process from the current plant in Bromley which composts organic material.

    A commercial energy production facility is best co-located alongside other industries and businesses who can purchase energy close to where it is being produced.

    The site is owned by Ecogas in an area zoned for heavy industrial activity where there are industrial neighbours and good transport links. This is close enough to the city to minimise any impact on the Council’s existing kerbside collection. Ecogas looked at several sites and Hornby was the best fit.

  • The Organics Processing Plant in Bromley is owned by the Council and will still be in operation until the new facility comes online and services are transitioned across.

    The South Hornby site is owned by Ecogas and is in a better location for supplying both energy and services.

  • The site is approximately 3 hectares and sits within a heavy industrial park in the South Hornby area.

  • Ecogas are taking a multi-layered approach to managing odour.

    The new facility will be enclosed with no outside storage or processing of materials. The design will feature technology such as a filter and rapid close doors. The kerbside food waste will be processed quickly on arrival, with contamination removed before it is pumped into the fully sealed anaerobic digestion tanks.

  • The Bromley Organics Processing Plant uses a composting methodology to process kerbside organics.

    The Ecogas Organics Processing Facility uses Anaerobic Digestion for wetter materials including the kerbside collections. The more fibrous greenwaste streams will be run through our biomass processing line. Both waste streams will be processed quickly and in a completely enclosed environment.

    The two processes are completely different in terms of outputs, operations and effects on neighbouring communities and cannot be considered comparable.

    For more information on how Anaerobic Digestion works, see How it Works for more information and general FAQs.

  • The site is located between SH1 and SH76 in an industrial estate designed for heavy traffic. The proximity to arterial routes means that trucks should not be travelling through residential areas.

    All drivers coming on site will be inducted. This will inform them of the routes to take to minimise impact on the community.

  • Our management systems include contingency and business continuity planning to ensure we quickly resolve any incidents. The design of the facility will adhere to all applicable building and industry standards including for earthquake resilience.

    The biogas tanks will be designed to the natural gas standards and are low pressure systems. The site will be bunded (raised perimeter) in key areas to contain any liquid spills.

  • It is planned that the facility operates from 6am to 6pm Monday to Friday. There may be weekend activity to cater for situations such as public holidays.

  • Biomass is essentially chipped and dried wood and fibrous material. It is used as a renewable replacement fuel in industrial boilers.

    The biomass processing at the Christchurch OPF will take the city’s greenwaste, chip and dry it into a usuable form.

Looking for more information on the biogas industry including anaerobic digestion?

Do you have a question that we haven’t answered here or that you would like to know more about? Please get in contact with us using the form below.

The World Biogas Association website is a great place to get information on the wider industry, the pathway to 2030 and ongoing developments.

The Bioenergy Association of New Zealand has a specific biogas website. It includes information on the circular economy as well as opportunities for biogas in New Zealand and a research centre.