Ecogas

What Ecogas does

Ecogas is a New Zealand-owned limited partnership, jointly established in October 2022 between Pioneer Energy Group (majority owned by community-focused Central Lakes Trust) and EcoStock Supplies Limited, that operates the country's first and only commercial-scale anaerobic digestion platform converting organic waste into renewable energy, biomethane, regenerative fertiliser and biomass fuel. Its core technology uses sealed, oxygen-free tanks in which micro-organisms break down food scraps, commercial food waste and industrial by-products into biogas (used for electricity, heat and upgrading to biomethane and BioCO2) and digestate, branded as fertify™, a liquid biofertiliser applied to pastoral and cropping farmland. The platform spans the Reporoa Organics Processing Facility (75,000-100,000 tonnes/year, operational since October 2022), the Papakura Sorting and Consolidation Facility (1,500 tonnes/week capacity) and the Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility (under construction, 100,000 tonnes/year with a biomass processing line, opening 2027).

The company's revenue model combines usage-based waste processing fees paid by councils and commercial food waste producers under long-term contracts (including a 20-year Auckland Council anchor covering over 440,000 households and a separate Christchurch City Council contract awarded December 2023), transaction-fee sales of fertify biofertiliser to local farmers, and transaction-fee sales of renewable energy products (electricity, biomethane via Nova Energy, BioCO2 and heat, the last to adjacent T&G Fresh glasshouses). Ecogas distributes biomethane into the national gas grid through First Renewables/Clarus, representing New Zealand's first commercial Gas-2-Grid connection, and has signalled a national rollout plan targeting up to 21 sites across the country over 5-10 years. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales focused on local government and large commercial waste producers, with pricing negotiated bilaterally based on waste type and volume.

Ecogas serves four primary customer segments: Local Government Councils (its anchor segment, led by Auckland and Christchurch), Commercial and Industrial Food Waste Producers, Agricultural and Horticultural Producers (fertify buyers in Waikato and Canterbury), and Energy Retailers and Industrial Gas Users (notably Nova Energy and T&G Fresh). Operating with a small team of 17 employees, the company leverages its partnership with Pioneer Energy Group for shared services including recruitment and is structured under a community ownership model (~85% via Central Lakes Trust and Tōtara Energy), positioning it favourably for public-sector procurement and ESG-aligned investment.

Name

Ecogas

Legal name

Ecogas Limited Partnership

Website

https://ecogas.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ecogas is a New Zealand anaerobic digestion operator that converts commercial and kerbside organic waste into renewable energy, biomethane, regenerative biofertiliser (fertify™) and biomass fuel for local councils, food waste producers, farmers and energy retailers, anchored by a 20-year Auckland Council contract and a second facility under construction in Christchurch.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Renewable Energy / Organic Waste-to-Energy Services

NAICS

Biomass Electric Power Generation (221117), Natural Gas Distribution (2212), Nitrogenous Fertilizer Manufacturing (325311)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Cogeneration Services & Small Power Producers (4991), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Biogas Plants (Agricultural, Industrial & Municipal) (EUAAAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Anaerobic Digestion (Wet/Dry AD) & Biogas Production (EUAIAEAD), Digestate Processing, Nutrient Recovery & Fertilizer Products (Struvite, Ammonia, Compost) (EUAAAEAL), Biogas Upgrading to RNG & Injection/Fueling (Gas Cleanup, Compression) (EUAIAEAF), Biogas/RNG Plant Development, EPC & Project Delivery (EUAAAEAH), Anaerobic Digestion (AD) & Biogas/RNG Production (Organics Feedstocks) (BPALAEAC)

Keywords

• Renewable natural gas
• Anaerobic digestion
• Organic waste processing
• Biofertiliser production
• Biogas facility

Headquarters

HQ city

Reporoa

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Waste Processing Fees (Council & Commercial): Ecogas charges councils and commercial businesses a fee to process their organic waste. This is the primary revenue driver. Auckland Council has a 20-year contract; Christchurch City Council has a separate long-term contract. Processing fees are volume-based based on types and volumes of waste.
2. fertify™ Biofertiliser Sales: Digestate (fertify brand) is sold to local farmers as a regenerative fertiliser, displacing synthetic imported fertilisers. Revenue is generated from the sale and distribution of liquid biofertiliser to agricultural customers.
3. Renewable Energy & Gas Sales: Biogas is used to generate electricity (exported to the national grid) and heat for the facility and nearby T&G Fresh glasshouses. Biomethane is injected into the national gas grid via First Renewables and sold to gas retailers. BioCO2 is supplied to T&G Fresh. These energy products generate additional revenue streams.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ecogas runs commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plants that take in organic waste and convert it into two sellable outputs: renewable biogas (upgraded and injected into the natural gas network) and biofertiliser (a digestate-derived soil product for agricultural use). Customers are predominantly large waste generators — municipal councils and food/industrial organic-waste producers — that supply feedstock under multi-year contracts.

Product overview

Ecogas is a fully New Zealand-owned circular economy business that operates a portfolio of organic waste processing facilities using anaerobic digestion technology. The core offering consists of the Reporoa Organics Processing Facility (New Zealand's first commercial-scale anaerobic digestion plant), the Papakura Sorting and Consolidation Facility, and the forthcoming Ōtautahi Christchurch Organics Processing Facility (under construction, opening 2027). These facilities process food scraps, commercial food waste, and garden organics into three renewable products: renewable energy/biogas, fertify™ Regenerative Fertiliser (a liquid biofertiliser brand), and biomass fuel. The portfolio is unified by a shared anaerobic digestion technology platform and a closed-loop food and energy philosophy, with the new Christchurch facility adding a biomass processing line alongside anaerobic digestion to handle fibrous greenwaste streams.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• fertify™: A New Zealand-made regenerative liquid biofertiliser (digestate) produced through anaerobic digestion of organic waste at Ecogas facilities. Designed to support long-term soil health and productivity.

Products and services

• Organic-waste anaerobic digestion (Reporoa facility) Commercial-scale anaerobic digestion service processing organic waste at the Reporoa plant, producing biogas that is upgraded and injected into the natural gas network and digestate that is processed into biofertiliser. Customers include municipal councils and large industrial waste generators under multi-year offtake arrangements.
• Renewable biogas supply Upgraded, pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (RNG) injected into the gas network via the Pioneer Energy offtake relationship. Sold on a volume basis to gas-network buyers and end users seeking lower-carbon gas.
• Biofertiliser Nutrient-rich soil amendment produced from the digestate of the anaerobic digestion process. Sold in bulk to agricultural end users as a substitute or complement to synthetic fertiliser.
• Christchurch anaerobic digestion facility (planned) Planned second commercial-scale anaerobic digestion facility intended to replicate the Reporoa operation in the South Island, expanding organic-waste processing, renewable-gas injection, and biofertiliser production capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 125,000+ tonnes of organic waste diverted from landfill
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, secondary and founding / core.

• Nova EnergycoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 June 2024Nova Energy, one of New Zealand's largest energy retailers, partnered with Ecogas to bring the first renewable gas to the New Zealand gas market. Nova Energy leverages Ecogas's expertise in converting food residues into high-value products and combines it with their extensive market reach to make renewable gas accessible to a wide range of consumers across New Zealand.
• Christchurch City CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 December 2023Christchurch City Council awarded Ecogas the contract in December 2023 to provide long-term processing of kerbside organics and garden waste for Ōtautahi Christchurch. The facility will serve the city's three-bin kerbside collection system and process commercial and industrial organics from across Canterbury. This is a core revenue contract driving the Christchurch facility development.
• Lincoln UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 December 2023Lincoln University is a research partner for the Ōtautahi Christchurch facility, contributing to research and development and skilled employment aligned with Canterbury's economic development plans.
• First Renewables (Clarus / Firstgas Group)coreTechnology or Integration · 11 April 2023First Renewables, a company within Firstgas Group (now Clarus), built and operates a biogas upgrading plant at Ecogas's Reporoa facility. The plant upgrades Ecogas's biogas into biomethane (BioMethane) which is injected into the national gas grid, and BioCO2 which is supplied to T&G Fresh. First Renewables is the implementation partner for the Gas-2-Grid connection — New Zealand's first renewable gas pipeline injection.
• T&G FreshcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2022T&G Fresh is a New Zealand fresh produce business and adjacent neighbour to the Reporoa facility. Their commercial glasshouse (requiring energy equivalent to ~2,000 homes) uses renewable heat and CO2 from Ecogas's anaerobic digestion process to grow tomatoes. The partnership enables Ecogas to supply BioCO2 and thermal energy as co-products, closing the loop.
• Scion (New Zealand Crown Research Institute)secondaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Ecogas partnered with Scion on a 14-month research study to investigate converting partly digested grass from cattle into biogas for sustainable greenhouse heating. Scion is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute focused on forestry, biosecurity, and bioenergy research.
• Pioneer Energy Groupfounding / coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2019Pioneer Energy Group and EcoStock Supplies Limited joined forces to create the Ecogas Limited Partnership. Pioneer Energy is the majority owner (70% via Central Lakes Trust, 30% via Tōtara Energy LP). Pioneer Energy led the project funding and continues to support Ecogas operations and recruitment. It is independently accredited to ISO 45001 (OH&S), ISO 55001 (Asset Management), and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management).
• EcoStock Supplies Limitedfounding / coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2019Founding partner in Ecogas Limited Partnership. EcoStock provides sustainable recycling solutions for commercial food waste and has been processing food waste into animal feed and organic fertiliser for over 15 years. Based in Auckland, EcoStock processes approximately 35,000 tonnes of food waste annually. Managing Director Andrew Fisher is a co-founder of Ecogas.
• Auckland CouncilcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 5 December 2019Auckland Council entered a 20-year partnership with Ecogas in December 2019 to process food scraps collected kerbside across urban Auckland (Rukenga Kai programme). Over 440,000 bins delivered to households. This is the anchor contract for Ecogas's Reporoa facility, with over 7,200 tonnes processed in the first year of the partnership.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• First Renewables (Clarus / Firstgas Group): Built and operates the biogas upgrading plant at Ecogas Reporoa that injects biomethane into NZ's national gas grid. Highly relevant as a strategic infrastructure partner and the only current gas-to-grid counterparty, and the deployment model could be replicated at additional Ecogas sites.
• Renewable Energy Group / T&G Global: T&G Fresh (part of T&G Global) is the adjacent industrial off-taker of heat and BioCO2 from Ecogas Reporoa. Directly comparable as a large NZ horticultural player with co-location symbiosis, though operating on the demand (offtake) side rather than the AD production side.

Direct peers

• Anaergia: Canadian-headquartered global operator of anaerobic digestion and resource recovery facilities. Highly comparable on the core AD and biogas-to-grid technology platform, though at much larger international scale and with a focus on municipal biosolids and food waste processing.
• Quantum Biogas (BTS Biogas): European AD/biogas plant developer with international project delivery experience. Comparable as a global AD technology and plant operator focused on organic waste-to-energy, and the kind of international technology counterparty Ecogas competes with or partners against in similar geographies.
• EcoStock Supplies Limited: Founding partner of Ecogas and a New Zealand resource recovery business processing ~35,000 tonnes of food waste annually into animal feed and organic fertiliser. Directly comparable given overlapping organic waste processing capabilities and shared leadership (Andrew Fisher).

Broad incumbents

• Cleanaway New Zealand: Australian-listed Cleanaway's NZ division provides solid waste collection, processing, and disposal services. Comparable as a multi-service waste operator with kerbside organics exposure, though without a large-scale AD plant or biomethane-to-grid capability.
• Waste Management NZ: Largest waste services provider in New Zealand, offering collection, transfer, recycling, and disposal. Competes for organic waste volumes from commercial and council customers, though without Ecogas's anaerobic digestion or biofertiliser production capability.
• EnviroWaste: Major New Zealand liquid and solid waste services company with significant organic waste handling capability. Comparable as a B2B waste management competitor serving councils and commercial customers, though focused on collection and disposal rather than AD-based resource recovery.
• Pioneer Energy Group: Parent company of Ecogas and a diversified NZ renewable energy operator (hydro, geothermal, wind). Compares on energy generation and infrastructure ownership, with Ecogasoperating as the bioenergy/waste-to-energy vertical within the group.

Emerging players

• Hitachi Zosen Inova: Swiss/Japanese engineering, procurement, and construction firm specialising in anaerobic digestion and waste-to-energy plants worldwide. Comparable as an AD project delivery partner and technology provider relevant to Ecogas's Christchurch build-out and longer-term multi-site roadmap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ecogasNZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecogasnz

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ecogas