- Wastewater treatment plant processing the facility's wastewater to produce on-site recycled water for irrigation and non-potable uses
- Anaerobic Digestion plant converting red meat processing by-products and wastewater treatment sludge into biogas to create renewable thermal and electrical energy from combined heat and power (CHP) units
- BioCO2 recovery plant extracting and purifying food grade liquid bioCO2 from the combustion of biogas in CHP engine/s, for use in trim rapid-cooling
- Biofertiliser plant utilising nutrient-rich digestate from the Anaerobic Digestion process to produce biofertilisers.
The project highlighted the renewable energy potential of using red meat by-products and sludges for biogas production, estimating a yield of 1.4 GJ per tonne of hot standard carcase weight at a facility capacity of 135,200 t.HSCW/yr. The CHP units in the biogas plant generate 2.37 MWh of electrical energy and 2.42 MWh of thermal energy, supplying the bioresource recovery facility’s energy needs while providing surplus energy to the red meat processing plant.
The feasibility showed significant returns, with a net present value of $225.3 million over a 25-year lifespan and a payback period of seven years. It positions the red meat processors as potentially significant contributors to renewable energy production and exemplifies sustainability and circular economy opportunities for other agro-industrial businesses.
A webinar for the project was held on 19 September 2024 which also included some EU case studies and can be viewed here.