A New Phytosanotary Treatment – FEL Pt.1

Organisation: Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction Inc. STIMBR – Joule Heating
Grant Number: A17021
Grant Amount: $66,000

Methyl bromide, an ozone depleting gas, is used as a phytosanitary treatment for approximately 20 percent of the logs exported from New Zealand. Phytosanitary treatments are set by importing countries. The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has determined that following fumigation, methyl bromide will not be allowed to be released to the atmosphere from 2020 onward. Consequently, the users of methyl bromide are seeking suitable alternative treatments. 

The University of Canterbury’s (UC’s) Electric Power Engineering Centre (EPECentre), with support from the Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction (STIMBR), government and Scion, has developed an exciting alternative for methyl bromide phytosanitary treatment that has the potential to be used on exported pine logs. The concept of using electric heating technology (Electric Joule Heating) has been proven in the laboratory.

AGMARDT and STIMBR co-funded a feasibility study to determine the costs of building and operating a commercial plant, based on installation at the Port of Tauranga. The plant would be capable of treating 2.1 million cubic metres of logs a year. 

The technology also has potential for use as an alternative heating technology to steam heating used to prepare logs for peeling and slicing to produce veneers.

We are grateful for the assistance the AGMARDT Grant provided. It has allowed Freshco to direct sales and manage our own destinies in each market enabling us to extract more value from the supply chain to the consumer.

John Mangan / Director, Freshco

AGMARDT supports and enables. Projects and people benefit from funding; New Zealand benefits from development of ideas, technologies, approaches and leadership. In particular, the trust facilitates information dissemination: AGMARDT is the catalyst for ripples that spread through the primary sector.

Dr Jacqueline Rowarth /

AGMARDT's support of Texus in the above process tangibly accelerated the development of the above essential activities and testing of market entry strategy, while also exposing Texus management to cutting-edge thought leadership around market shaping and the levers that can be applied to scope and facilitate such shaping.

Nick Davenport / CEO, Texus Fibre Industry Leader Scholarship Winner

The support from AGMARDT has enabled us to gain greater insights into farmer behaviour across all sectors and which will assist accelerated uptake of the livestock exchange and enhance market opportunities for all farmers.

Jason Roebuck / Managing Director, Stock-X Limited