JBS Australia’s Beef City bioenergy system now in operation

• The system will eliminate the equivalent of ~34,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
• Beef City is reducing the volume of natural gas used on-site by replacing it with up to 10,000 cubic metres of biogas per production day.  

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 naturally occurring biogas, known as 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 on-line 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.

JBS Australia 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.

This biogas is now displacing a significant portion of Beef City’s natural gas usage. This provides Beef City with substantial Greenhouse Gas (GHG) abatement well into the future, as well as reducing costs by lessening the plant’s reliance on natural gas.

The additional inclusion of a de-sulphurisation system underneath the lagoon covers has allowed for more oxygen to be introduced, which lessens the production of other hazardous gases. 

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.”

Ryan Warburton, AGL Group General Manager – Electrification & Innovation and C&I Customers, said this project is a testament to the work AGL is doing to provide end-to-end tailored renewable energy solutions to large business customers.

“We’re proud to have partnered with JBS Australia on this circular project and to see how JBS has embraced biogas. At AGL, we are committed to supporting our large commercial and industrial customers decarbonise the way they work, with JBS embracing biogas to support their sustainability goals, reduce their emissions and help lower costs.

Beef City Processing Plant Manager Justin McCormick said the bioenergy system is already making significant contributions to reducing Beef City’s emissions profile:

“Since commencing operations, the bioenergy system keeps proving its worth in Beef City as we use more and more biogas each day as a lower carbon energy. Daily replacement of LNG has been as high as 10,000 cubic metres of biogas per production day, which significantly lessens our total natural gas consumption and significantly reduces our carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

“Thank you to our engineering team and our construction contractors Energy 360 for your expertise and contribution towards building a system that revolutionises our waste management and energy usage. We’re pleased to see it making a tangible impact already.”

Mayor of Toowoomba Regional Council Geoff McDonald, who recently visited Beef City to tour the bioenergy system, said:  

“We’re delighted to see JBS Australia embracing innovation and investing in circular economy infrastructure locally. Projects like JBS’s show that production can be modernised to address environmental challenges such as energy consumption and waste, in a thoughtful way that supports both our environment and local community.”

ENDS

Media contact:

Olga Alexandratos, Director Corporate Communication, Australia & NZ

+61 417 770 352            olga.alexandratos@jbssa.com.au

About JBS Australia

JBS Australia is the largest meat and food processor in Australia with more than 15,000 team members and a strong portfolio of leading beef, lamb, pork, salmon, and value-added branded products. JBS globally is the largest animal protein business and the largest food company in the world, with operations in North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. The JBS Northern division comprises five strategically placed processing facilities and five feedlots across Queensland and New South Wales.