JR (John) McDonald, chairman of Bindaree Beef has said he would like to thank everyone involved with getting Bindaree’s bio-fuel project past the planning approval stage and into actual construction.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Final approval was granted by the NSW Minister for Planning Pru Goward last week for Australia's first meat processing bio-digester is about to be built at Bindaree Beef.
At a cost of about $40 million, it will introduce a new technology that has significant potential to reduce the industry's environmental footprint.
Bindaree’s bio-digester plant will create bio-gas from its waste product and effluent that will then be used to generate power at the site.
"Getting to this point is the culmination of several years' work by a team of Bindaree staff and external advisors, who have worked together to overcome the obstacles to bringing in a major technological innovation for Australia,” Mr McDonald said.
"My thanks go to all involved, and on behalf of the McDonald and Newton families and the entire Bindaree Beef team, I would like to particularly acknowledge Jocelyn Ullman of Mitchel Hanlon Consulting, and Dave Sneddon, Bindaree Beef's plant engineer who has lived and breathed and fought to see this project take shape."
The facility is expected to be completed and commissioned during 2016.
Over the course of the project, design improvements made by Bindaree Beef's team have meant that cost estimates have been reduced by more than $6 million. As a result, the project is expected to use $20 million of a $23 million Clean Energy Fund grant gained by Bindaree from the Gillard government, and matched dollar for dollar by Bindaree Beef.
Bindaree Beef has already invested more than $2 million of its own funds over the past two and a half years, on planning and construction of pilot plant.
At the core of the Bindaree Beef project is a new, highly effective waste treatment system that will produce methane, which is burnt to generate steam and power to replace the coal-driven processes and remove up to 17,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere per annum.
Byproducts of the system include zero smell, clean, recycled water, and a concentrated fertiliser (which will be used locally).
Bindaree Beef is one of Australia's largest meat processors, it is a family owned and operated company, capable of processing 1300 cattle per day. Bindaree Beef employs over 800 people, making it one of the largest employers in north-west NSW.