Options assessment for piped natural gas users
Co-funding for an independent assessment of ways to reduce piped natural gas use, including energy efficiency and renewable alternatives, for New Zealand businesses.
Get a qualified consultant to compare practical ways to reduce gas use in an industrial or commercial process-heat system. The assessment includes an on-site walkthrough, a report with indicative and comparable costs, and a recommendation on the most suitable option or combination of options. It is an initial technical and financial assessment that can help you decide whether to commission a detailed feasibility study or proceed towards implementation.
Climate-relevant options include using less energy and assessing renewable heat alternatives. EECA's accompanying gas guidance discusses electrification, biomass, biogas and geothermal. The wider programme also considers other ways to reduce dependence on gas; the assessment does not by itself establish that every alternative fuel reduces emissions.
EECA can contribute up to 50% of the assessment cost, capped at NZ$5,000 excluding GST. You pay the balance, including costs above the cap. This support pays for the assessment, not the plant upgrade or installation.
You must demonstrate that the assessment price is competitive and commit to giving EECA information about its outcomes for up to 12 months after completion.
Eligibility
- Be a New Zealand-registered business spending NZ$30,000–400,000 a year on piped natural gas.
- Own or manage the plant or building being assessed. Industrial and commercial technologies or processes using natural gas for process heat can be considered.
- Use a suitably qualified, EECA-approved consultant with no vested interest in the potential solutions. The consultant should assess the options independently, rather than favour a solution in which they have a commercial interest. A consultant can help prepare the application in the owner's or manager's name.
How to apply
- Status
- Open continuously
Applications are open through EECA's online application form. Prepare a natural gas invoice for the site from the previous 12 months, an estimate of annual energy use and spending by energy type, and business bank-account details for invoice reimbursement.
EECA says it will confirm acceptance or ask for more information within five working days after submission. Use its approved service-provider list to find a consultant whose expertise matches the assessment.