Award-winning biogas plant for meat processor

Food manufacturing specialist Wiley has designed and constructed an innovative biogas and water treatment plant for meat processing company JBS Australia.

Wiley partnered with JBS Australia to create a self-sustaining biogas facility at its Dinmore facility, capturing cattle emissions to power an existing natural-gas-fired boiler plant. The project’s key solutions included:

• Construction of a 20 ML covered anaerobic lagoon (CAL);
• Covering of two existing anaerobic lagoons (AL) with high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to capture biogas, and then burn the gas through the boiler to provide energy for the plant;
• Installation of a biogas train to pipe biogas from the CALs to a central flare and then to the existing 10 MW boiler;
• Upgrade of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) with a new dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit.

The result led to an 89% reduction in the facility’s annual greenhouse gas emissions and a saving of more than $1 million a year on natural gas costs. Wiley was additionally recognised for its efforts at the Queensland Master Builders Association (QMBA) Brisbane Regional Awards, receiving the award for Innovation in Environmental Management Construction.

Accepting the award, Wiley Project Director Graham Harvey said, “This is an industry benchmark demonstrating the reality of environmental processing solutions for heavy emission producers. It is a great win for Wiley, JBS Australia and everyone involved.”

Managing Director Tom Wiley noted that the company has experience in complex builds and structures that lends itself to projects that others struggle to handle alone.

“Whatever the structural development, some are so complex they need a fresh perspective on them to deliver a practical, effective and, in this case, innovative solution, and that’s something Wiley prides itself on,” he said.