The bioenergy system being constructed at JBS Australia’s Scone processing plant will remove around 28,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year, the company says. A similar plant in Toowoomba is already underway, with JBS allocating $11.1 million to the projects.
The plant will capture wastewater emissions and substitute its liquified natural gas (LNG) use with renewable gas sourced from an anaerobic wastewater treatment process.
Biogas is a naturally occurring by-product from anaerobic wastewater breakdown, which will be created by encasing facility wastewater under sealed pond covers. It is a viable renewable energy source that will substitute the site’s consumption of natural gas as a production heat source.
JBS Australia CEO Sam McConnell said, “By harnessing the potential of renewable energy sources, we not only reduce our carbon footprint but also enhance our operational efficiency.”
JBS is working with biogas handling company Energy360, to install the bioenergy infrastructure that will transform its current process into a circular flow that captures and reuses biogas.
Two pond covers will be installed at the plant to minimise the release of biogas and odour into the atmosphere.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of November 2023. JBS began constructing the Toowoomba (Beef City) system in November 2022 and is due to be completed in October.
JBS Australia group manager Sustainability, Sam Churchill, said: “The Scone facility construction marks another important milestone on our Net Zero journey. We’re pleased to partner with Energy360 to create a solution that reduces our wastewater emissions and consumption of liquefied natural gas through biogas capture and reuse technology.
“This project will deliver a reduction of the plant’s carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 28,000 tonnes per annum, through recycling biogas that would otherwise go to the atmosphere.”
The company has set a global pledge towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
The Scone facility plant manager, James Turner said the system was a solution that alleviated the site’s dependence on liquefied natural gas and created a circular production model.
“We’re pleased construction is officially underway at Scone. We are building on our status of being a major local employer, as this project will support an additional 30 local contract construction jobs throughout its development.
“This process will transform our plant’s biowaste into a valuable energy source, ultimately offsetting our reliance on natural gas to simultaneously cost save in an unpredictable gas market and improve our sustainability outcomes.”
