JBS Australia (JBS) has completed the installation and commissioning of a bioenergy system at its Beef City Food Processing Facility in Toowoomba.
The system captures biogas and reuses it on-site to reduce the equivalent of ~34,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
The system is one of two projects that have come online this year - totalling $11.1 million investment into bioenergy infrastructure, with JBS Southern recently completing a bioenergy system at its Scone Processing Plant.
The completed systems will contribute to a total annual reduction of approximately 57,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions across both sites, according to JBS.
The organisation partnered with AGL Owned biogas handling company Energy360 to install bioenergy infrastructure that enables a circular wastewater treatment process.
Two gas-tight pond covers have been installed over pre-existing anaerobic wastewater lagoons, allowing naturally occurring biogas to be captured and redirected for use as a production heat source.
These covers also prevent waste odour from entering the atmosphere.
Brendan Tatt, chief operating officer of JBS Northern, said the project exemplifies JBS’s focus on investing in renewable infrastructure and sustainability projects.
“We’re proud to officially unveil Beef City’s bioenergy system, which is one of two completed renewable infrastructure projects for the JBS Northern business after Dinmore that was completed in 2013. It’s a win-win design that reuses a naturally occurring waste product to replace a considerable volume of natural, which is great for both cost and emissions management.
“The Beef City site celebrates 50 year of continuous operations this year. It is our commitment to innovation projects like this that will ensure Beef City remains competitive and an important pillar of our community for another 50 years.”
JBS Australia completes Beef City bioenergy system
