Installations taking place at JBS Scone’s wastewater ponds, taking 28,000t of CO2 from the atmosphere each year

JBS Australia is constructing a bioenergy system at its Scone beef processing plant in the NSW Upper Hunter – expected to eliminate the equivalent of 28,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year, while generating Energy Savings Certificates.

Construction has started on the project, developing a system that will capture wastewater emissions and substitute the site’s liquified natural gas (LNG) consumption with renewable gas sourced from an anaerobic wastewater treatment process.

In partnership with biogas handling company Energy360, JBS is installing bioenergy infrastructure that will transform Scone’s current wastewater treatment process into a circular flow that captures and reuses biogas.

Biogas is a naturally occurring by-product produced from anaerobic wastewater breakdown. The gas is captured by encasing the site’s waste water facility under sealed pond covers. This biogas is a renewable energy source that will substitute the site’s consumption of natural gas to generate heat, used to produce steam, boiling water, or for other purposes.

Two pond covers will be installed, minimising the release of biogas and odour into the atmosphere.

The initial stages of pond cover installation have started, and the project is expected to be completed by the end of November.

In support of JBS’s global pledge towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, the company’s Australian division has now invested $11.1 million into the development of bioenergy systems at its Scone and Beef City (Toowoomba) processing facilities.

Beef City’s bioenergy construction started a year ago and is due for completion next month.

Sam McConnell

JBS Australia’s Southern Division chief operating officer Sam McConnell said the construction of bioenergy systems at Scone aligned with his company’s commitment to innovation and responsible business practices.

“By harnessing the potential of renewable energy sources, we not only reduce our carbon footprint but also enhance our operational efficiency,” Mr McConnell said.

JBS group manager for sustainability, Sam Churchill, said JBS’s construction of bioenergy systems were part of the company’s Net Zero ambition.

“The Scone facility construction marks another important milestone on our Net Zero journey, creating a solution that reduces our wastewater emissions and consumption of liquefied natural gas through biogas capture and reuse technology,” he said.

Scone plant manager James Turner said the bioenergy system was a welcome solution that alleviated the site’s dependence on liquefied natural gas by creating a circular production model.

“We’re pleased construction is officially underway. We are building on our status of being a major local employer, as this project will support an additional 30 local contract construction jobs throughout its development,” he said.

“This process will transform our plant’s bio-waste into a valuable energy source, ultimately offsetting our reliance on natural gas to simultaneously cost save in an unpredictable gas market and improve our sustainability outcomes.”

Source: JBS