Mars Inc. says the new solar thermal plant at its Mars Petcare facility in Wodonga, Victoria will be the first commercial installation of parabolic trough CST technology in Australia, making the plant a leader in green process heat manufacturing.
The $39.3 million Mars Wodonga Solar Thermal Plant includes the installation of an 18-megawatt Parabolic Trough Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) plant that will provide up to 10 hours of thermal energy storage for cooking petfood.
The project, which includes a $17.2 million grant through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), is the first commercial deployment of parabolic trough CST technology in Australia.
The renewable energy will supply both electricity and process steam at the plant, which makes Pedigree and Whiskas products, Mars said it means the facility will be Australia’s first large-scale steam-based manufacturing site powered by 100 per cent renewable energy,
Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, joined the general manager of Mars Petcare Australia, Craig Sargeant, to announce the project.
Sargeant said decarbonising site-based process heat and coupling it with 100 per cent renewable electricity use is a significant achievement.
“Investing in renewable energy technologies like CST is critical to decarbonising industrial processes, particularly in sectors that heavily rely on gas for steam-based manufacturing.
“CST offers a powerful solution by capturing and storing solar energy, in the form of high temperature heat, for use at any time, making it an ideal fit for our steam-based manufacturing needs,” Sargeant said.
The site also uses Electric Thermal Energy Storage (eTES) technology, which allows the facility to utilise low-cost, grid-connected renewable electricity during off-peak times to generate and store heat that can produce steam at any time of day or night. It is supported by CSIRO and provides the plant with a cost-effective, renewable alternative to gas.
The company recently announced a joint initiative with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to purchase Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin certificates at Hydrogen Park Murray Valley. This will displace more than 10 per cent of Mars Australia’s total gas consumption, including Mars Petcare Wodonga.
“For Mars, the CST and eTES systems are complementary renewable heat technologies. With the addition of the AGIG hydrogen purchase, and Mars Australia’s existing 100 per cent renewable electricity agreement, the Wodonga facility will deploy a 100 per cent renewable energy solution within two years, as part of our global commitment to 100 per cent renewable energy for site-based operations by 2040.
“Earlier this year, Mars announced that since 2015, GHG emissions in the company’s global value chain have been reduced by 16 per cent or 5.7 million metric tons.
“This project further contributes to Mars Net Zero Roadmap target to reduce emissions globally by 50 per cent by the end of by 2030, which we’re on track to achieve,’ said Sargeant.
