New rules for industrial heat emissions
The Government has published national direction to help lower greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes and reduce fossil fuel use.
Currently, more than half of the heat used to process raw materials into products such as paper and dairy production comes from fossil fuels. Process heat contributes about eight per cent of Aotearoa New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The new regulatory framework consists of the National Policy Statement and National Environmental Standards for greenhouse gas emissions from industrial process heat (ND-GHGIs).
Developed by the Ministry for the Environment and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), the NPS and NES will have legal effect from 27 July.
The national direction will phase out existing coal boilers by 2037 and stop the installation of new low-to-medium temperature industrial coal heating devices.
These changes are expected to reduce emissions by about the same amount as 100,000 cars would produce in a year.
When making resource consent decisions, councils will now consider climate change impacts caused by industrial process heat.
All councils will regulate GHGs from industrial process heat in the same way, which will provide greater clarity for businesses that emit greenhouse gases.
Guidance for councils and industrial emitters of GHGs
EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) is producing guidance which will help councils, and industrial emitters of greenhouse gases to prepare and assess GHG emission plans as part of the national direction requirements.