Cutting edge renewable fuel project recognised in IChemE awards
A cutting-edge sustainability project around the pelletisation of on-site organic wastes at a red meat processing plant for reuse as a boiler fuel has received recognition in a prestigious award.
The Australian Meat Processor Corporation joined forces with JBS Australia's Dinmore plant in southern Queensland to investigate the feasibility of the concept.
The project was submitted by project provider All Energy, and recognised for its forward-thinking nature, circular design and potential to make a difference. It was Highly Commended at the International Chemical Engineers Australasia Awards in the Health, Wellbeing and Food category at an event in Melbourne in September.
The project, which began in March, aimed to address one of the most difficult environmental performance indicators to improve for red meat processors - solid waste intensity.
AMPC Sustainability Manager Matthew Deegan said 36 per cent of this indicator was represented by organic solid wastes such as wastewater sludges, paunch, hides and skins that the industry was striving to find more beneficial re-uses for under a circular economy approach.
One potential solution that had been identified was added value via pelletisation.
"This process is more feasible than high temperature alternatives such as pyrolysis, and the end products can be suitable for reuse in bioenergy or delayed release organic fertiliser applications," Mr Deegan said.
The project involved a site assessment, preliminary design, lifecycle/options analysis and associated business cases for the formation of an energy pellet utilising organics from within the JBS Australia supply chain inlcuding paunch, sludge and other organics.
The project successfully demonstrated the multi-biomass pellets, and established they were a viable renewable solid fuel alternative for the plant coal-fired industrial boiler, showing their potential to reduce boiler emissions and reduce site waste disposal and truck movements.
Mr Deegan said the project could help address the "thermal energy trilemma" for processors - that is cleaner, more affordable and more reliable thermal energy.
"Additionally, as many existing red meat processing plants are facing urban encroachment, the options for organics management becomes more critical and urgent," he said.
"Pelletisation provides one option for making on-site materials, previously considered waste, into a useful bioresource.”