For Immediate Release
27 October 2015

New bio-waste technology developed in Rotorua has been recognised with an award.

Terax 2013 Ltd’s contribution to waste management technology has won the Innovation Award for Sustainability and Cleantech in this year’s New Zealand Innovators Awards, run by the New Zealand Innovation Council.

The patented technology treats difficult and expensive-to-dispose -of bio-waste (sewage sludge) as a recyclable resource. The cost-saving process reduces wastewater, eliminates organic solids and recovers useful components such as nitrogen and carbon for recycling.

“We are delighted to see this amazing innovation being recognised nationally,” said Steve Sopora, General Manager for Terax 2013 Ltd. “This is a stand out technology that addresses one of New Zealand’s serious environmental challenges and turns waste into valued products.”

The technology was developed jointly by Scion and Rotorua Lakes Council with considerable support from the Ministry for the Environment. The collaboration brought together research and development capability with biosolids management and local authority expertise. The technology is now being commercialised through Terax 2013 Ltd and has generated substantial national and international interest

Rotorua Lakes Council chief executive Geoff Williams said the Scion-developed technology had huge potential.

“This award is great acknowledgement of Scion’s outstanding work in developing new environmentally-friendly processes and technology,” he said.
A TERAX™ plant proposed for Rotorua will be about 20% cheaper over the life or the project than the current set up explains Rob Lei, Business Development Manager for the technology.

“The savings will come from eliminating around 10,000 tonnes of biosolids a year, and using recovered carbon to remove nitrogen from wastewater. In addition, the process also recovers both nitrogen and phosphorus, which can used directly in industrial applications such as fertiliser production.”

The Innovator Awards are run by the New Zealand Innovation Council. CEO and Awards convener Louise Webster says the winners of the 2015 awards demonstrate innovation and commercialisation is thriving across many industry sectors: “It is at the intersection between these sectors where truly disruptive, innovative products and business ventures are created.

The winners were announced on 21 October 2015 in Auckland.

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