Saputo Dairy Australia achieves sustainability milestone with biogas energy

AUSTRALIA – Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA) has announced a key milestone in its environmental sustainability efforts with the go-live of its purpose-built biogas to energy solution at its Allansford manufacturing facility.

This innovative project is set to significantly enhance the site’s environmental performance by removing up to 14,000 tonnes of CO2 annually from the environment, the equivalent of taking 3,000 cars off the road.

Utilising advanced Capstone Microturbines, this custom solution converts biogas waste into renewable power and heat, thereby reducing the site’s reliance on the electrical grid and allowing for other electrification projects in the region, while also generating up to 25 percent of the facility’s total electricity usage during peak production.

“This project is a testament to our commitment to environmental stewardship and innovation,” said James Moyle, SDA’s General Manager of Engineering and Strategic Projects.

“As part of our long-term vision for success in Australia, our investment in renewable energy is supporting a resilient and sustainable dairy industry while safeguarding the environment and fostering positive environmental change in our communities.”

Optimal Group, contracted to deliver the leading-edge technology for this project, brings specialised expertise in cleaner energy solutions to ensure SDA extracts the most benefit and efficiency from its state-of-the-art microturbine system.

Craig Dugan, CEO of Optimal Group, said, “Saputo is demonstrating their strong commitment to sustainability by installing this flagship renewable energy system. Optimal is delighted to have partnered with Saputo to deliver this turnkey project.”

“As companies seek to reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions, hard to abate industry sectors have limited options to decarbonise. Often there is insufficient power available in the grid, or the temperatures their processes require cannot be delivered via electrification. Projects such as this are important to demonstrate the role of biogas in the path to net zero.”

Supported by a A$1 million (US$717,670) grant through Sustainability Victoria under the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy, Recycling Victoria: a new economy, this project was one of 24 successful projects in the Waste to Energy – Bioenergy Fund.

This transformative project is enabling SDA to harness nearly all of the biogas generated on-site to deliver sustainable energy savings. 

To receive our email newsletters with the latest news and insights from Africa, the Middle East and around the world, SUBSCRIBE HERE.