Wiley saves $1m/yr: develops innovative factory energy systems

AN INNOVATIVE biogas and water treatment plant, designed and constructed by Australian integrated facility engineers Wiley, has revolutionised a meat processing company’s business, reducing emissions as well as operational costs by more than $1 million a year in the process.

The system has not only saved Australia’s largest meat processing company, JBS Australia, $1 million in its first year of implementation, it has also won Wiley the Queensland Master Builders Association (QMBA) Brisbane Regional Award for Innovation in Environmental Management Construction.

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 result led to an 89 percent reduction in the facility’s annual greenhouse gas emissions and a saving of more than $1 million a year on natural gas costs. 

With a 90-year history in creating world-class food manufacturing facilities, Wiley’s people have earned a reputation for developing solutions to complex projects.

Managing director Tom Wiley said the company’s heritage as a global leader in food facilities and plant design, consulting, and construction has provided the Australasian business with unparalleled 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 an innovative solution and that’s something Wiley prides itself on,” Mr Wiley said.

“We’re a human-centric organisation, our capabilities lie in the knowledge of our people to problem-solve and work in collaboration with clients and partners to deliver exceptional outcomes.

“Rather than shy away from complex projects, we actively seek them out to continually evolve our thinking, processes and solutions.”

In 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.”

The project’s key solutions included construction of a new 20ML 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 10MW boiler; an upgrade of waste water treatment plant (WWTP) with a new dissolved air flotation (DAF) unit.

www.wiley.com.au

An in-depth profile of the JBS Dinmore project is available to read and download: http://www.wiley.com.au/experience/biogas-recovery-project-gives-jbs-environmental-and-financial-edge

 

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