There was solid beef processing and allied industry representation in the second round of funding allocations announced by the Federal Government under its Clean Technology Investment Programs yesterday.

More than 100 grants have now been provided from the CTIP and the Clean Technology Food and Foundries Investment Program, supporting a wide cross section of manufacturers in investment in energy-efficient capital equipment and low emission technologies, processes and products.

The Clean Technology Food and Foundries Investment Program is a central element of the Government’s Clean Energy Future plan announced in July last year.

The Clean Energy Future plan provides transitional assistance for businesses and industry through the $1.2 billion Clean Technology Program.

Within that, the Food and Foundries Investment Program component is a $200 million competitive, merit-based grants program to support food and foundry manufacturers to maintain competitiveness in a carbon-constrained economy.

While there are some much bigger beef processing sector applications still awaiting government funding approval, the latest list of allocations includes a number of beef processors and businesses from related industries.

Here’s a summary of the successful applications, where the funds will be spent, and how much was allocated:

• Harvey Beef, WA: Harvey Industries will construct a new production line and install equipment to allow the use of dry ice to pack and chill beef trimmings, in place of its current active refrigeration system. The new system will also allow Harvey to utilise re-usable plastic bins in its packaging  rocess rather than disposable cardboard cartons and plastic barrier bags. The project is expected to reduce site-wide carbon emissions intensity by 5pc and will result in savings of $211,000 in energy costs per year. ($188,000 allocated).
• Green Mountain Food Processing, Qld: Green Mountain Food Processing will install sensitive electricity monitoring equipment (Eniscope) followed by power factor correction and voltage regulation equipment to increase energy capacity available from the grid with voltage regulation to reduce the energy consumption of the site. In addition, the steam circuits within the existing production process will be modified to facilitate the use of excess steam to drive six high efficiency steam turbines (installed as part of the project) to produce process electricity. This operation will be fully synchronised and controlled by a digital data system. The project is expected to reduce the carbon emissions intensity of the company’s Coominya site by 19pc and reduce energy costs by 34pc. ($498,750).
• Teys Australia, NSW:  Teys Australia Tamworth will recover biogas produced by the site waste water system and burn the gas in a boiler to produce steam. The project involves installation of a 6mw dual fuel steam boiler and associated equipment to burn both grid supplied natural gas and biogas.                                                                            The project is expected to reduce the carbon emissions intensity of the site by 5pc and reduce site-wide natural gas consumption by 25pc. This will result in savings estimated at $327,000 in energy costs per year. ($328,696 allocated).
• V&V Walsh, WA: V&V Walsh will replace two 4mw fire tube boilers used to produce steam with two 4mw water tube boilers. Boiler type, together with new technology ancillaries such as economisers, efficient burners units and electronics, will deliver steam at a higher efficiency and more accurately in relation to operational demand rather than over generation of steam reserve as is the case of fire tube type boilers. The project is expected to reduce V&V Walsh’s site-wide carbon emissions intensity by 14pc and will result in savings of $170,000 in energy costs per year. ($279,258).
• Dew’s Meats, South Australia: Dew’s Meats will install 29.8 kW solar photovoltaic panels on its factory roof. The project is expected to reduce site-wide carbon emissions intensity by 23pc and will result in savings of $6500 in energy costs per year ($34,453).
• Wodonga Rendering, Vic: Wodonga Rendering will install a tri-gen plant, which comprises a natural gas fuelled reciprocating engine driving a 415 volt alternator to deliver 2mW of three-phase, 50 Hertz electrical power. Heat generated through the operation of the tri-gen plant will be used to produce hot water and steam that will be utilised by the abattoir and rendering plant. The project is expected to reduce Wodonga Rendering’s site-wide carbon emissions intensity by 41pc and will result in savings of $761,000 per annum after running costs. ($1,053,500).
• Sonac Australia, Vic:  Sonac will make a number of capital improvements at its dried blood plasma and haemoglobin powder manufacturing facility in Maryborough. This includes upgrading the blood collection equipment to reduce the amount of water entering the blood collection process, installing filtration units to further reduce the amount of water in the plasma stream and replace coal briquettes and the existing oil heater with natural gas via the installation of direct gas burners with heat recovery. The project is expected to reduce the carbon emissions intensity of the Maryborough site by 79pc and will result in savings of $1 million in energy costs per year. ($590,608).
• Hunsa Smallgoods, WA:  Hunsa Smallgoods will upgrade its Mandurah manufacturing facility by installing a rooftop photovoltaic system, upgrading to a VSD compressor, installing solar hot water units to pre-heat hot water, installing a new thermo former and upgrading to LED lighting. The project is expected to reduce Hunsa’s site-wide carbon emissions intensity by 30% and will result in savings of $26,000 in energy costs per year. ($225,713).
• Naturale Stockfeeds, Tas:  Naturale will upgrade equipment at its Ringarooma stockfeed supplement manufacturing plant by replacing the colloid mill with a larger unit so that the ingredients can be emulsified with less water, installing a heat recovery system and upgrading the conveyor belt. The project is expected to reduce the site-wide carbon emissions intensity by 46pc and will enable the product to be manufactured at a lower overall cost. ($47,062).