Clarus

What Clarus does

Clarus is one of New Zealand's largest privately-held energy groups, providing energy transmission, distribution, supply, and storage across the country's North Island. The group operates through wholly-owned subsidiaries: Firstgas handles natural gas transmission (approximately 2,500 km of high-pressure pipelines including the Māui and Kapuni lines) and distribution; Rockgas supplies bottled LPG nationwide; Firstlight Network distributes electricity in the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa regions; Flexgas operates the Ahuroa gas storage facility in Taranaki; and First Renewables develops renewable energy projects including biomethane and solar. The group serves over 500,000 homes and businesses — approximately 290,000 residential natural gas customers, 16,000 commercial customers, and 300 large industrial customers in steel, milk powder, and fertiliser manufacturing.

Clarus's business model is a regulated/utilities model with managed-service revenue across transmission and distribution operations, recurring LPG delivery subscription revenue, and emerging subscription/contract revenue from renewable gas (biomethane) injected into the gas network. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; commercial terms are negotiated bilaterally for large industrial customers. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales for industrial and commercial customers, paired with direct distribution infrastructure for residential connections and a sales-led LPG delivery model through Rockgas.

The group is positioning for New Zealand's energy transition by leveraging its existing gas infrastructure for renewable alternatives — biomethane production at Reporoa, a hydrogen blending pilot at Te Horo (up to 15%), and a 202 MWp solar farm joint venture (Tauhei). Notable proprietary technologies include the first-of-kind biogas-to-biomethane upgrading facility in New Zealand, BISEP pipeline repair technology deployed on the Māui pipeline, and SELMA laser methane assessment vehicles for distribution-network leak detection.

Name

Clarus

Legal name

Clarus

Website

https://clarus.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Clarus is a privately-held New Zealand energy infrastructure group operating gas transmission (2,500 km of pipelines), gas distribution, LPG supply, electricity distribution, and gas storage through subsidiaries Firstgas, Rockgas, Firstlight Network, and Flexgas, serving 500,000+ homes and businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Natural Gas Distribution (22121), Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211)

SIC

Natural Gas Transmisison & Distribution (4923), Electric Services (4911), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

SCADA Data Historian, Reporting & Compliance Logging (EUAJAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Operations Control & Dispatch (Remote Operations Centers, Curtailment, Compliance) (EUAMAGAK), Outage, Incident & Emergency Response Coordination (Control Room) (EUAJAFAH)

Keywords

• Natural gas transmission
• Gas distribution services
• LPG supply
• Electricity distribution
• Renewable energy infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

New Plymouth

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gas Transmission Services: Firstgas operates approximately 2,500 kilometres of high-pressure gas transmission pipelines including the Māui and Kapuni pipelines, providing transmission services across the North Island.
2. Gas Distribution Services: Distribution of natural gas to commercial and industrial customers through Firstgas network.
3. LPG Supply and Delivery: Rockgas delivers bottled LPG to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses nationwide.
4. Electricity Distribution: Firstlight Network provides electricity distribution services in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa areas.
5. Renewable Gas: First Renewables produces biomethane from organic waste through partnership with Ecogas, with integration into transmission network.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Clarus is one of New Zealand's largest integrated energy groups, providing energy transmission, distribution, supply, and storage services through its subsidiaries: Firstgas (natural gas transmission and distribution across ~2,500 km of North Island pipelines), Rockgas (LPG bottled delivery nationwide), Firstlight Network (electricity distribution in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa), Flexgas (Ahuroa gas storage), and First Renewables (biomethane upgrading at Reporoa and the Tauhei Solar Farm joint venture). The group services over 500,000 homes and businesses and is investing in renewable gas and solar to support New Zealand's energy transition.

Product overview

Clarus is one of New Zealand's largest energy groups operating a diversified portfolio across the energy supply chain. The company comprises multiple subsidiaries: Firstgas handles natural gas transmission and distribution through approximately 2,500 km of pipelines; First Renewables develops renewable energy projects including the Tauhei Solar Farm and biomethane facilities; Rockgas supplies LPG nationwide; Firstlight Network distributes electricity in the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa regions; and Flexgas operates gas storage. The group services over 500,000 homes and businesses, providing energy transmission, distribution, supply, and storage services while investing in renewable alternatives like biomethane and hydrogen blending to transition toward a lower-emissions future.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• First Gas: Natural gas transmission and distribution business serving the North Island of New Zealand
• First Renewables
• Rockgas
• Firstlight Network
• Flexgas

Products and services

• Firstgas Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution Natural gas transmission and distribution service operating approximately 2,500 km of high-pressure pipelines across the North Island (including the Māui and Kapuni pipelines), connecting natural gas to homes, businesses, and large industrial customers.
• Rockgas LPG Supply and Delivery Bottled LPG supply and delivery service to homes and businesses across New Zealand, offering a portable energy source independent of pipeline infrastructure.
• Firstlight Network Electricity Distribution Electricity distribution lines service for homes and businesses in the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa regions, operating the local lines network.
• Flexgas Gas Storage Service Gas storage service at the Ahuroa facility in Taranaki providing flexibility and security of natural gas supply for New Zealand's energy system.
• Tauhei Solar Farm A 202 MWp solar photovoltaic generation facility under construction on 182 hectares near Te Aroha in the North Island, designed to produce 280 GWh of renewable electricity annually, capable of powering approximately 35,000 homes.
• Reporoa Biogas to Biomethane Upgrading Facility New Zealand's first biogas-to-biomethane upgrading facility, converting organic waste from the Ecogas Reporoa plant into renewable gas that is chemically identical to natural gas and can be injected into the existing gas network.
• Te Horo Hydrogen Blending Pilot A pilot project blending renewable hydrogen into the natural gas distribution network at increasing ratios (3.5% to a maximum 15%) as a pathway to decarbonising the gas network.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11,000 tonnes CO₂ emissions reduced annually through biomethane production
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Harmony EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint venture between First Renewables (Clarus) and Harmony Energy to develop and own Tauhei Solar Farm - New Zealand's largest solar farm. Construction began in 2025 with commissioning expected late 2026.
• EcogascoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022First Renewables (part of Clarus) partnered with Ecogas to launch New Zealand's first facility capable of upgrading biogas into biomethane at Ecogas' Organics Processing Facility in Reporoa. The facility transforms food waste into renewable gas, biofertiliser, and biogenic CO₂.
• Ecogas Organics Processing FacilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProcessing facility receiving household food scraps and converting to biogas, which is then upgraded to biomethane by First Renewables. New Ecogas facility under construction in Hornby, Christchurch for Canterbury households from early 2027.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Vector Limited: New Zealand's largest electricity distributor and a major gas distributor, operating regulated monopoly networks similar to Clarus's Firstgas transmission/distribution and Firstlight electricity distribution businesses. Closest comparable by regulated wires-asset model and dual-energy footprint in NZ.
• Powerco: New Zealand's second-largest gas distributor and a significant electricity distribution business, directly comparable to Clarus's Firstgas distribution and Firstlight Network operations across gas and electricity lines services.

Broad incumbents

• Meridian Energy: NZ's largest renewable electricity generator (hydro and wind). Comparable to Clarus's renewable-generation ambitions via First Renewables and the Tauhei Solar Farm JV, although Meridian focuses on wind/hydro rather than solar/biomethane.
• Mercury NZ: NZ-listed renewable electricity generator and retailer; comparable to Clarus's First Renewables and Tauhei Solar Farm ambitions. While primarily a generator rather than a wires operator, Mercury competes for renewable generation capacity and retail customers in the same NZ market.
• Contact Energy: NZ-listed electricity generator and retailer with geothermal, gas, and wind assets. Comparable to Clarus's industrial-customer gas supply business and to its renewable generation build-out through First Renewables.
• Infratil: NZ-listed infrastructure investor with material exposure to energy (including a stake in Manawa Energy) and renewables development. Comparable to Clarus as a NZ energy-infrastructure platform pursuing renewables transition.
• Genesis Energy: NZ integrated generator-retailer with hydro, thermal, and wind assets plus retail electricity and gas offerings. Comparable to Clarus as a broad NZ energy supplier serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers across multiple fuels.

Others

• Z Energy: NZ's largest fuel retailer and bitumen importer, part of the wider NZ energy ecosystem. Less directly comparable but adjacent — Clarus's LPG business (Rockgas) overlaps with Z's downstream fuel-distribution footprint.

Regional players

• APA Group: Australia's largest natural gas infrastructure business, operating high-pressure transmission pipelines and gas storage. Comparable to Clarus's Firstgas 2,500 km pipeline network and Flexgas storage operations, but serving the Australian market.

Emerging players

• Manawa Energy: NZ-listed renewable electricity generator (predominantly hydro) recently demerged from Trustpower. Comparable to Clarus's First Renewables renewable-generation pivot, although focused on hydro rather than solar/biomethane/hydrogen.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

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 Clarus