KALFRESH has secured a leading international technology partner, WELTEC BIOPOWER, to deliver its landmark bioenergy facility at Kalbar, in South-East Queensland, aligning with one of the world’s most experienced and proven providers of anaerobic digestion technology.
The Queensland-based vegetable business has signed an agreement with the German company to design and build the first stage of the bioenergy facility, which will anchor the new Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct. The WELTEC equipment is due to arrive on site in late August, when construction of the first anaerobic digestion (AD) tank will begin.
Credit: WELTEC BIOPOWER
Australia’s first farmer-led 24/7 renewable energy solution that works with agriculture to decarbonise industry and transport.
The partnership marks a significant milestone and will unlock the paddock-to-power potential of Kalfresh’s vertically integrated business, which will turn crop residues, processing offcuts and agricultural waste into several renewable by-products. A by-product, a nutrient-rich digestate, will be returned to farms as a biofertiliser, advancing Kalfresh’s long-term vision of circular agriculture.
Kalfresh CEO, Richard Gorman, said: WELTEC BIOPOWER will use its proven stainless-steel tank technology, ensuring durability, corrosion resistance and long operational life. “For us, it was critical to work with a partner that has a track record of delivering reliable, long-term infrastructure,” Mr Gorman said.
“This is proven technology, and we’re building it to last. We have visited many operational bioenergy sites overseas, including those designed and built by WELTEC. They have a reputation for designing efficient, high- quality systems that deliver consistently. “Kalfresh sent a group of Queensland farmers to Germany in April to visit Weltec sites and see the AD technology first-hand.”
WELTEC BIOPOWER was established in 2001 and has planned, delivered and constructed more than 450 specialised stainless steel biogas plants in the US, Japan, Cyprus, the UK and Europe. Dirk Krumdieck, CEO and Head of Sales from WELTEC BIOPOWER, says the agreement reflects the extensive preparatory work and technical planning undertaken by WELTEC and Kalfresh over recent years. „We are excited to be delivering a flagship bioenergy project in Australia that combines Kalfresh’s agricultural innovation with our proven European biogas engineering experience,” Mr Krumdieck said.
The project will be delivered in three stages. The first stage involves the construction of a large digester with a diameter of 31.48 metres and a height of 8.8 metres, along with a digestate storage tank, supported by the newly implemented WELTEC Control system.
It represents a new model for Australian agriculture where farming, food production and energy generation operate side by side in a closed-loop system. At full capacity, the facility could feature 14 digesters which would be capable of producing enough energy to power up to 31,000 homes, or fuel up to 98 million kilometres of truck and bus travel annually. “Recent international events have made it clear there’s a real and immediate need for national fuel and fertiliser security,” said Mr Gorman.
“The introduction of a home-grown, dispatchable source of renewable natural gas to the energy mix comes at an important time. We can help transition Australia’s emitters towards emissions-free operation.“This is a practical, farmer-led solution that works today, and can be repeated in the future in agricultural communities across the country, value-adding what is already produced on-farms.”
The Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct will co-locate advanced food manufacturing on a 40-hectare site fronting the Cunningham Highway and approximately one hour from Brisbane. The Precinct will feature 16 serviced lots, including three occupied by Kalfresh, with access to on-site renewable power and circular waste services.