Biogas recovery project helps reduce carbon bill

JBS Australia, the country’s largest producer of meat products, has engaged Wiley to project manage the $8.7 million upgrade of its wastewater treatment system.

The upgrade will involve the design, construction and installation of new pretreatment equipment and covered anaerobic lagoon technology. According to Wiley, this technology will start reducing the company’s carbon tax bill as soon as the lagoons are covered.

Key features of the project include:

• A new 20-megalitre anaerobic pond
• A biomethane gas recovery system from new and existing ponds
• Integration of biomethane gas as fuel for the existing gas-fired boiler
• A red waste stream dissolved air flotation system replacement
• A system for tallow recovery
• Modifications to the existing trade waste system

Wiley and JBS have previously worked together, winning the Master Builders Association Brisbane Award for Innovation in Environmental Management for their saltwater hide processing plant.

The project is now in the construction phase, with completion of work anticipated in March 2014.