WHAT WE DO
Natural gas and LPG will be required for some time yet, however investing and planning for a diversity of gas supply is the best option to deliver an efficient and equitable transition to a lower carbon future.
GasNZ supports members through the transition by:
Being the sector wide voice of gas for today and tomorrow.
Enabling safe practices, policies and regulations for natural gas, LPG and renewable gases.
Renewables
Renewable gases are key solutions to a net zero carbon future. Gas is a fuel in transition. We will build a realistic gas pathway that will inspire New Zealanders to see gas as part of a sustainable future.
Work is already underway to introduce renewable gas and renewable LPG into homes and businesses. We want New Zealanders to join us on this journey.
The 2025 renewable milestones we are aiming for include:
Roadmap for decarbonising LPG is in place and being implemented
A regulatory framework to drive surety and investment is in place
Certification regime for renewable gases is established
Certification regime for appliances and renewable gases is established
New Zealanders understand the benefits of low emission gas and LPG alternatives
The importance of continued investment in infrastructure to facilitate renewable gases is well understood
What are Renewable Gases?
“Renewable Gas” describes a family of renewable gases that can be used in the same way that natural gas and LPG are today, but do not result in additional carbon emissions to the atmosphere. By blending and ultimately replacing natural gas with renewable gas we can use existing infrastructure to supply renewable gas to New Zealanders.
Renewable gases provide customers with energy choices that suit their needs and improve energy security.
-
Renewable natural gas is methane produced from renewable sources like digested organic waste and gasified biomass. It has the same chemical make up as natural gas.
It is a cleaner version of biogas - produced by further processing or “scrubbing” of biogas. -
Biogas is naturally produced from the decomposition of organic waste during anaerobic digestion. Until biogas is processed to regulatory pipeline standards, it is not considered renewable natural gas.
-
rLPG is created from renewable and waste materials. The feedstocks undergo a series of sophisticated treatments to purify their energy content. It is chemically identical to conventional LPG and is transported and stored in the same tanks and used for the same applications and equipment-making the transition from LPG to rLPG seamless.
-
Renewable DME, also called rDME, is dimethyl ether, a clean, colourless gas that is produced from renewable or recycled carbon feedstocks, such as manure. rDME is easy to liquefy and transport and can be used as a replacement for, or blended with, LPG.
-
Renewable hydrogen gas is produced - using renewable electricity - by separating hydrogen from water. Renewable hydrogen gas is also referred to as green hydrogen.
NATURAL GAS
GasNZ represents natural gas network companies, equipment suppliers and the companies involved in getting gas into homes, businesses and industries nationwide. We provide a proactive forum to identify, discuss and resolve issues regarding natural gas distribution, appliances and standards.
Natural gas in New Zealand
Natural gas provides 272,000 New Zealand homes with reliable, efficient gas for heating, cooking and endless hot showers, and powers over 18,000 businesses and industrial users.
Less than 10% of natural gas in New Zealand is used directly in homes and small to medium businesses.
Around 30% of natural gas produced in New Zealand is used to make electricity. It backs up our national grid when hydro lakes are low, the sun isn’t shining to charge solar panels or there’s not enough wind to power our wind farms. It’s also used when electricity demand is high – first thing in the morning and early evening, when everyone’s cooking, turning on their heat pumps and having hot showers.
The other approximately two thirds is used primarily by large industrial and commercial gas customers around the country.
For comprehensive statistics and supporting information on New Zealand’s gas supply, demand and prices please refer to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Energy in New Zealand publication.
LPG
GasNZ represents all major LPG companies in New Zealand. We promote LPG safety and are the principal voice for LPG issues in New Zealand.
LPG in New Zealand
LPG meets the energy needs of nearly 300,000 homes and business.
LPG is available in both the North and South Island and New Zealanders use around 190,000 tonnes of it each year. LPG is primarily used for heating, water heating and cooking, in homes and businesses.
LPG is used as a ‘process fuel’ in industrial applications where it displaces less environmentally-friendly fuels like coal and fuel oil, and as a cleaner-burning vehicle fuel. It also powers the “Kiwi barbecue” and provides a heating and cooking source in boats and caravans.
Safety and Training
GasNZ facilitates the industry’s contribution to enabling safe practices and policies for gas and LPG and provides consumer assurance that they can use gas safely, now and in the future.
GasNZ provides gas and LPG expertise to ensure ongoing qualification standards and competencies are met and appropriate training and resources are available, including:
Representing the NZ gas and LPG industry and equipment suppliers on standards committees both in New Zealand and Australia (for joint Australia and New Zealand standards)
Secretariat for industry committees:
Gas Technical Advisory Group – Chairperson, Bruce Monk (Powerco)
Gas Equipment Suppliers – Chairperson, Gregg Brown (Aber)
Gas Training Committee – Chairperson, Graham Alexander
LPG Health and Safety Committee - Chairperson, Rachael Morris (Firstgas)
LPG Technical Committee – Chairperson Rachel Cleaver (Vector)
FUTURE SURE
Future Sure is a consumer focussed communications platform designed to inform and engage New Zealanders around natural gas and LPG and renewable gases.
The flame isn’t going out and gas users can be confident that gas will continue to flow well into the future.
New Zealanders who are connected to gas now – or who are thinking about connecting – can rest easy that natural gas and LPG are expected to keep flowing as the nation makes the shift to future low or zero carbon gases.
Customers should expect to be able to use any natural gas or LPG appliances in their homes for their expected lifetime. Current LPG appliances are fully compatible with renewable LPG, and modern gas appliances are already able to run on a blend of natural gas and renewable hydrogen gas (up to 20%) or renewable natural gas. New compatible appliances will become widely available as we scale up towards a more renewable gas energy future.
Future Sure is also a platform for learning more about renewable, low and zero carbon gases. With hydrogen gas and renewable gases already being developed and trialled here and overseas.
Future Sure Partners
Our Latest Publications
