Caspak, a sustainable food packaging manufacturer, has installed a 134kw solar system made up of 335 solar panels as part of its commitment to reducing fossil fuel reliance. Read more
BOC to power food industry with renewable energy in 2023
Gas and engineering company BOC, a subsidiary of Linde plc, has announced a new power purchase agreement (PPA) with energy from waste facility Avertas Energy and Shell Energy, to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 16 per cent. Read more
Woolworths Group, CWP Renewables invest in Bango wind farm
Woolworths Group has made its first renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with CWP Renewables, renewable energy systems developer, to inject 195,000 megawatt hours of green electricity into the NSW energy grid annually. Read more
Fonterra commits to renewable energy targets
Fonterra Co-operative Group Limited has announced it is looking at ways to reduce its use of coal at nine of its 29 sites as part of a commitment to transition to renewable energy.
Saputo Dairy Australia enters renewable electricity agreement with ENGIE
Saputo Dairy Australia (SDA), the operating subsidiary of Saputo Inc. in Australia, has commenced a 10 year large-scale renewable power purchase agreement (PPA) with ENGIE, a global leader in renewable energy.
Dairy looks to solar energy solutions
Australia’s energy crisis is helping forge new alliances between the dairy sector and industry groups hit by soaring prices and renewable energy suppliers keen to reach out to new markets.
Industry advocacy group, Dairy Connect, and renewables supplier, Solar Bay, have announced an alliance designed ultimately to build dairy producer solar energy technologies and funding packages.
Such bespoke systems would be, for example, tailor-made for family dairy enterprises.
Solar Bay is working with the University of Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources in undertaking R&D in generation and thermal storage solutions for dairy producers.
Solar Bay’s national business director Cameron Quin said today that conventional dairy farms were likely to be able to save around 20-30 per cent on their existing energy bills using onsite renewable generation paired with storage technology.
“In robotic dairies, savings could be in the order of up to 50 per cent compared with today’s overhead costs,” he said.
“Depending on the investment package, all this could be without producers incurring any infrastructure cost.
“We have investment funds committed to building our presence in this important primary production market.
“As battery storage technology develops, we’re going to be in a far more favourable renewable energy environment.
“Prominent NSW dairy producers in conventional and robotic dairying are actively investigating solar solutions and we’re assisting in that journey.”
Cameron Quin said Solar Bay was unequivocal in its belief that farmers are paying far too much for the energy they consume.
“In Queensland, farm gate power bills have doubled since 2009. This is four times higher than the Consumer Price Index increase during the same period. He said
“NSW has seen a similar price rise and energy reliability in regional & rural areas is a constant issue, farmers operating independently from the grid has become a real option.
Dairy Connect CEO Shaughn Morgan said renewables have a critical role to play in delivering lower cost energy to the dairy industry in the future.
“Obviously, in the short term, we’re going to have to source electricity from a range of providers including renewables, coal and gas,” he said.
“But the amount of investment going into research and development and the quality of the institutions conducting that R&D, give us cause for great optimism about the pathways forward.
Dairy Connect will continue to seek efficient and cost-effective energy options for the dairy industry through discussions with all sectors of the resources and energy sector.
“At Dairy Connect, we’re seeking a clear national energy policy platform from the Federal Government and much more action from the State Governments in facilitating cost effective farm energy generation.”
Organic waste to energy projects on show in Sydney
Visitors to Ozwater in Sydney last week had a chance to see CST Wastewater Solutions’ latest waste-to-energy technologies.
Environmentally advanced technologies transform waste organic materials and wastewaters from an environmental liability into a profit centre, says CST Wastewater Solutions Managing Director, Mike Bambridge.
One of the technologies, GWE’s Rapid Transformation of Organic Residues(RAPTOR), is a liquid-state anaerobic digestion process that consists of enhanced pre-treatment followed by multi-step biological fermentation.
RAPTOR is suited to both industrial and municipal applications in Australasia, with one of its most recent installations demonstrating its potential for similar applications here, says Bambridge, whose company distributes the technology throughout Australia and New Zealand.
RAPTOR has been used successfully in several projects around the world. One example is an organic-waste-to-energy project in Connecticut USA, which moved into production late last year. It converted up to 40,000 tons of organic waste annually into environmentally green energy and dry bio fertiliser.
The plant also avoided the need to dump the waste into landfill, from where organic wastes can seep into water tables of surrounding urban and rural development.
The Quantum Biopower Plant serving the central Connecticut region incorporates its GWE RAPTOR rapid anaerobic digestion system at the heart of its process that harvests mixed organic wastes for conversion into enough biogas (primarily methane) to generate 1.2 MW of electricity and up to 5.6 tons a day of dry bio fertiliser.
Biogas extracted from the refuse replaces fossil and other fuels typically used to generate electricity for the nearby Town of Southington, CT, reducing its environmental footprint and helping the State meet its renewable energy goal of generating 27 per cent of the state’s electricity from renewable energy resources by 2020.
The Southington plant’s biogas production of more than 420,000Nft3 (about 12,000 Nm3 ) a day @62.5 per cent methane (CH4 ) is equivalent to 8000kg a day of fuel oil, or more than 3000 tons of the fossil fuel a year, projected to be worth over $A10 million in the plant’s first decade of service.
The company responsible for the installation, GW&E (a subsidiary of Global Water Engineering Engineering) has also completed another waste-to-energy plant in Canada and is currently completing another in the Caribbean that converts food waste and a form of grass to energy.
As well as profit and environmental benefits, this technology provides consistent and reliable base load power, which is not always possible with alternative green energy technologies, such as wind and solar. Further expansion of the facility to 80,000 tonnes/yr is planned, with the additional biogas to be converted to renewable natural gas and injected into the local gas pipeline network.
GWE anaerobic technologies have been successfully deployed on diverse organic and agribusiness waste streams produced by industries including food and beverage processing, starch and fermentation industry, pulp & paper and many other type of agro-industry. GWE has successfully built and commissioned scores of biogas utilisation plants for clients worldwide over the past 15 years, while CST Wastewater Technology anaerobic digestion installations in in Australia and New Zealand include meat, dairy, fruit processing and brewery production.
The technologies are also suitable for processing biological waste produced by a wide range of specific user types, including universities, grocery chains, restaurants, food transporters, hospitals, sports arenas, large office complexes, commercial buildings and large residential complexes.
Govt plans $2b boost to Snowy Hydro
The Government has revealed a $2b plan to boost energy generated by the Snowy Hydro Scheme by 50 per cent.
As the AFR reports, the proposed plan would involve a new series of tunnels and power stations to better utilise the existing Snowy Hydro infrastructure, rather than buid new dams.
Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull claimed that the new plan will add 2000mW of power to the scheme’s existing 4100mW output and will power 500,000 homes.
Four different design options using the Scheme’s existing dams will be looked at. The leading options are to rework the Tantangara Reservoir and the Talbingo Reservoir.
Turnbull said that his plan is better than South Australia’s than the giant battery storage facility that SA’s premier Jay Weatherill has unveiled.
“In one hour it could produce 20 times the 100MW per hour expected from the battery proposed by the South Australian government, but would deliver it constantly for almost a week, or 350,000 MWh over seven days,” Turnbull said.
However, the state is unlikely to back away from its plan. It wants to build South Australia’s generation capacity and contribution to the National Energy Market so it can export excess energy to Australia’s eastern seaboard.
Image: Snowy Hydro
The future of solar energy in Australia
Solgen Energy Group’s executive general manager David Naismith talks about renewable energy, the solar industry and the challenges associated with the growing solar power storage sector.
Could you tell us more about Solgen’s business direction here in Australia and what are your plans for your customers here?
David Naismith: Solgen Energy Group is a leading solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) group providing turnkey renewable solutions in the commercial and industrial sector. While the basics of solar power are generally well understood, the applications are growing. We’ve completed projects covering large ground-mount solar farms, multi-story solar car parks with charging stations, solar pumping for agriculture – the applications are enormous and the market is demanding more innovative solutions. We have a very busy New Ventures team that spends all its time vetting product and opportunities, continually looking for the next solution for our clients.
What is Solgen’s position with regards to Industrial Internet of Things? (i.e. The need for cyber physical systems, Internet of Things, cloud technology)
David Naismith: We have seen a general commoditisation of products in the solar and storage space. Differentiation for solar is generally determined by the underlying design and experience of the vendor. Storage however is currently enjoying a differentiation by brand. Over time this will change and storage is likely to become extremely commoditised.
The leaders in the space will be the data owners and software developers that control the interaction between the grid, solar, storage and integration of consumption patterns. It is this platform that will lower electricity price delivery to the consumer by managing where that power comes from, and opens the opportunity for peer-to-peer energy trading. In addition, the platform will learn consumption patterns of the business and interact with machinery to best manage energy demand.
Why will solar energy be essential for businesses in future?
David Naismith: Solar power effectively acts as a long-term hedge on energy prices. Solar power is able to deliver electricity over 20 years at approximately $0.06 per kilowatt hour in today’s money – that’s a very stable savings both now and well into the future. Incorporating solar power into a business’s energy mix gives the business greater control over their rates moving forward. In addition, customers are demanding to source their products from businesses that can demonstrate manufacturing techniques that are environmentally sustainable at an efficient price. Solar delivers in both of these areas – renewable energy that delivers long-term savings to businesses.
Why would customers buy Solgen’s products over a competitor?
David Naismith: Solgen Energy Group stands out from its competitors by its experience in delivering some of Australia’s most iconic solar projects nation-wide. Our reputation for installing industrial solar panels is backed by our performance of projects in the field. We have carried out major rollouts for the National Broadband Network right through to food manufacturers in the Northern Territory. We have a simple and transparent commercial process for every industry that is renowned for delivering certainty around generation and financial returns.
Is Solgen looking to exploit economic opportunities from the home battery revolution?
David Naismith: Storage is a very exciting space. While still relatively expensive, the cost of energy storage is expected to fall rapidly over the next few years and we are already seeing evidence of these price drops. Current pricing means the business case in a commercial environment is difficult. However, where storage begins to play a role in demand management as well as shifting consumption patterns, we will see increased demand in the commercial space.
What supplementary service does Solgen offer customers?
David Naismith: Solgen Energy Group focuses on providing solar solutions to the commercial and industrial sector. Beyond this core market, the group also offers services for medium scale (megawatt) solar power plants and more niche markets such as solar water pumping solutions for agri-businesses, solar-hybrid solutions for remote communities and mines, and power factor correction for businesses with high inductive loads.
PACE: How do customers access product maintenance?
David Naismith: As a contract requirement, all customers are sent operation and maintenance manuals following the installation completion. These manuals are compiled in-house and are specific to every system. Contained within are maintenance schedules for the system, as well as shutdown and isolation procedures. Data sheets and warranties for every component used are attached to the manual, providing the customer with more in depth information on the technical specifications and maintenance duties for every part of the system.
In the event a customer requires further advice, or product is showing a fault or requires comprehensive technical maintenance, the customer would call their Solgen project manager that is always on hand.
What challenges do renewable companies face in competing against established interests like Big Oil and Big Coal?
David Naismith: Fossil fuels are no longer seen as a ‘competitor’ to renewable energy. Renewables have carved their own space and work in harmony alongside traditional energy. Fossil fuels face far greater challenges than renewables, simply because they are reliant on a finite resource, uncertain markets and enormous amounts of infrastructure to deliver. That infrastructure requires significant maintenance just to keep it running each day. Solar power on the other hand, has no moving parts and simply does its thing with exceptionally low maintenance requirements.
How do companies judge what level of solar power can meet their energy needs?
David Naismith: We assess the consumption patterns of a business over a minimum 12 month period and overlay a system specification that best meets the energy needs of the business. In most cases, the system is shaped on delivering energy that can be consumed in the business without exporting to the grid. However, even with the right blend of export to the grid, that can still deliver the highest financial returns. Our primary aim is to deliver the best financial outcome to the business.
When do you think renewable projects will not need government subsidies such as the renewable energy target (RET), ARENA support or grants from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation?
David Naismith: Anything that can contribute to higher returns is naturally a factor in our clients’ decision to implement solar. However, increasing grid energy prices and the lower cost of components mean that financial returns have gradually become strong enough as a standalone business case. This is why the Renewable Energy Target incentives are beginning to unwind. Our clients want to see the financials stack up without too much reliance on government policy.
With state governments ramping up renewable energy targets, is 100 per cent renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal etc.) a realistic proposition or not?
David Naismith: Not only is it possible, it makes sense and delivers a far more stable outcome that is sustainable well into the future. Intermittency issues associated with wind and solar are now being addressed through significant advances in energy storage. Furthermore, with peer-to-peer energy trading, we are no longer reliant on single points of failure in delivery of our energy.
How much human labour is needed in future on renewable energy products?
David Naismith: The Climate Council recently noted that a 50 per cent Renewable Electricity target scenario in 2030 will lead to over 28,000 new jobs, or almost 50 per cent more employment than the current targets would deliver and 80 per cent of these jobs are an addition to the economy.
What is the next step in renewable energy – e.g. how do you see all the elements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution linking together? Do you see renewable energy linking up with quantum computing?
David Naismith: We have gradually seen barriers to purchase fall away, primarily driven by advances in technology that have driven significant reductions in price. This has been key in placing solar on a level playing field with grid power. We have gone from an industry that wasn’t really solving a problem other than green credentials to one that is becoming a critical part of any business’s energy mix.
We are in a very exciting space. Business and consumers will continue to pressure the grid to become more service-based and less supply-centric. That service will create unlimited opportunities for peer-to-peer, business-to-business energy trading where combinations of renewable energy, storage and cloud-based technologies will mean that businesses will have far greater control over how they consume energy and what they pay for it. We are a very progressive organisation and while solar will remain our core business, we need to keep innovating across its application and be mindful of adjacent technologies that in combination will maximise results for our clients.
What is the potential for solar microgeneration and people going off grid? What are the implications for Solgen and energy companies of Microgen?
David Naismith: We are seeing a large uptake of solar-hybrid systems that effectively allow people to come off-grid. This can be in combination with diesel generation or simply solar and battery storage.
*David Naismith is a founder of Solgen Energy Group with close to 10 years of experience across some of Australia’s leading solar projects. David has spent more than 10 years in corporate finance followed by his role as Chief Financial Officer of a technology group listed on both the Nasdaq and London Stock Exchange. David’s finance background provides a unique blend of financial and project development insight behind the drivers of deployment of solar power. David holds a Bachelor of Commerce, an MBA from Macquarie Graduate School of Management and is a chartered accountant.
Meridian and Whittaker’s celebrate commitment to renewable energy
New Zealand chocolate maker Whittaker’s and Meridian Energy have launched a Special Edition Giveaway ‘Brooklyn Block’ chocolate to celebrate their new partnership, which is based on a shared commitment to renewable energy.
Whittaker’s has chosen Meridian as its electricity provider because it only generates power from 100 per cent renewable energy sources – wind and water.
“The celebration Brooklyn Block is named after Meridian’s iconic Brooklyn Turbine, which alone generates enough electricity to power 60 per cent of Whittaker’s total chocolate production each year. We love the fact that Meridian only generate from pure ingredients, like Wellington wind,” said Whittaker’s Marketing Manager, Holly Whittaker.
The partnership with Meridian also provides an opportunity to identify any potential energy efficiency options that may contribute to continuous improvement in Whittaker’s sustainable business practice.
“Customers have choice – whether it’s over chocolate or electricity. Whittaker’s share our commitment to the best ingredients and best business practices, with renewable energy at the heart of both. This can make a real difference for customers,” said Meridian’s Neal Barclay.
As well as a shared commitment to renewable energy, there is a natural synergy between Whittaker’s and Meridian, with both companies being Wellington-based and known for their engagement with consumers and communities.
Over the next week Whittaker’s and Meridian will join forces to provide some unique opportunities for consumers with some great prizes including the Brooklyn Block and a year’s free electricity up for grabs. The Brooklyn Block is exclusively available in select Brooklyn stores and via a limited Whittaker’s and Meridian giveaway.
Cereal producer chooses reliability of solar power
Fronius and Victron Energy have joined forces to help Spanish cereal producer CETOSA – Cereals Torremorell S.A by installing three Fronius inverters alongside six inverter chargers and four BlueSolar charge controllers from Victron Energy, which are claimed to offer continuous and uninterrupted power supply.
In remote regions, an unrestricted power supply cannot always be guaranteed, even in EU countries like Spain. This tends to be due either to a lack of physical grid capacity, or because the grid connection costs do not justify the expected level of usage. In this case, many consumers rely solely on energy produced by diesel generators. However, generators are expensive to maintain, and the high emission levels and drawbacks of fossil fuels are issues that can have a huge impact on both the cost effectiveness of a company and on the environment.
This was the challenge facing cereal producer CETOSA. The family-owned business is the leading member of a group of companies founded in 1984, which specialise in the production and marketing of cereals and fertilisers as well as breeding pigs. To optimise the cost effectiveness of the business and ensure a continuous power supply for production operations, CETOSA opted for solar power produced by their own photovoltaic system. The company turned to solar technology from Fronius and Dutch energy specialist Victron Energy to benefit from their expertise in efficient solar systems.
“The aim of this project was to upgrade CETOSA’s 82 kilowatt photovoltaic system,” says Francisco Heredia, Technical Advisor at Fronius Spain. Three Fronius Symo inverters were installed for this purpose and the energy generator was connected directly to the microgrid – a regional, self-contained power distribution network.
“Our inverters have a special setup for this purpose, with various functions to ensure stable microgrid operation”, adds Heredia. Six Victron Quattro inverter chargers and four Victron BlueSolar charge controllers in CETOSA’s system ensure the agricultural business can store surplus energy that can be used as and when it is needed.
This technology is said to offer advantages in terms of fail-safe operation. Most of the time, the output of the inverter is controlled without communication.
“The frequency droop characteristic of the inverter charger and the inverter ensure optimum power set points,” claims David Hanek, Product Manager at Fronius. “But, should the load be less than the maximum capacity of the PV generator, and if the batteries are already full, automatic power reduction will be required.”
In addition to the frequency droop characteristic, voltage-dependent power reduction and reactive power regulation functions can also be activated. A back-up generator provides another layer of safety. CETOSA also benefits from effective system monitoring – the operator can use the Victron Remote Monitoring Portal (VRM) to view live values, while the Fronius Solar.web online portal provides a comprehensive range of display and analysis functions for all PV system data. The Colour Control (CCGX) acts as a data aggregator between the Fronius Datamanager and the Victron inverter/charger.
This technology means the cereal producer is supplied with energy independently of the public grid.
Sydney plant turning food waste into electricity
The Cronulla Wastewater Treatment Plant has started a trial to turn food waste into renewable energy.
As AAP reports, a Sydney business will supply the plant with fruit and vegetable scraps sourced from local green grocers. Though waste water treatment uses a lot of power, it is expected the plant will be able to source more than 60 per cent of its energy needs from the waste.
Minister for Primary Industries, Lands and Water Niall Blair and Environment Minister Mark Speakman were on hand yesterday to launch the trial.
“The NSW Government is committed to finding new and better ways to lower the amount of electricity we use from the grid, not only to benefit the environment, but also to reduce operating costs of utilities and lower customers’ bills,” Blair said.
“This project is a great example of Sydney Water and local businesses working together to look outside the square to develop solutions to benefit the environment and the local community.
“Not only will the food waste help to generate renewable energy to power the Plant, it will also save 150,000 wheelie bins of fruit and vegetables per year from landfill – that’s 600 wheelie bins a day, five days a week.”
The three-year trial is jointly funded by Sydney Water and the Office of Environment and Heritage’s Sustainability Advantage Program.
“Fruit and vegetable waste which is typically driven many kilometres away for landfill will also now stay in Cronulla. This means fewer trucks travelling long distances and a saving of 90,000 kilometres each year,” said Speakman.
Govt releases Energy White Paper
The federal government’s Energy White Paper, released yesterday, has been largely welcomed by business leaders but criticised by environmentalists.
Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane said the government wants to ensure Australians receive competitively priced and reliable energy supplies into the future.
According to the White Paper, this can be best achieved by promoting competition in energy markets, increasing energy productivity and facilitating investment in energy resources development.
“The measures in the Energy White Paper will deliver stable energy policy and efficient transparent markets that give consumers information to make choices about their energy use and industry the confidence to invest,” Macfarlane said.
As AAP reports, the paper suggests consumers pay more for energy during peak hours and less during times of low demand.
It also includes policies the government has already announced, such as encouraging states to sell off electricity assets.
It suggests increased use of coal seam gas and leaves open the possibility of the future introduction of nuclear energy. It says international nuclear energy developments should be monitored.
However, it rejects the concept of a domestic gas reserve.
Controversially, the White Paper says future energy policy should be "technology neutral". In other words, high polluting fossil fuel energy sources should be treated in the same way as clean renewable sources.
Environmentalists attacked this position. For example, the Climate Institute called it a "fantasy of climate ignorance", while Greens leader Christine Milne said the paper should be "binned along with the Warburton review into the RET".
Industry was more positive.
Welcoming the paper, Kate Carnell AO, CEO of the ACCI said, “The White Paper shows that Australia can reap substantial benefits by meeting global energy demand, which is expected to rise by over one-third by 2040. We can only achieve this by streamlining regulation and attracting investment into new projects and supply.
And the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) CEO Gary Dawson said, “In releasing the Energy White Paper, the Australian Government has agreed with industry’s calls for gas market reform by increasing gas supplies, improving competition and increasing information about gas supply availability and pricing.”
Image: www.bbc.com
Tartar products maker turns to bioenergy, saves $2 m in a year on gas
Australian Tartaric Products grape waste-powered biomass
reactor has saved the company over $2 million in power bills so far, according
to the company.
BRW reports that the reactor, which is fueled by winemaking
waste products – including grape marc (skins and pips), which was previously used as
compost – was completed last year at a cost of around $10 million.
ATP chairman Malcolm Taylor said that feasibility studies
began in 2008 as rising gas prices began to bite. Plans were put on hold due to
the Global Financial Crisis, but by 2011 it was important that action be taken.
“As the cost of gas went up and up, the cost of production
was going up and squeezing the margin considerably,” Taylor told BRW.
“All the indications were that it was going to potentially
become uneconomic to produce.”
The investment was assisted by grants worth $1.7 million from the federal government and $1.8 million from the Victorian government.
According to the company, in its first year of operation the
biomass reactor has saved around $2 million in gas costs as well as producing
60 per cent of the ATP’s electricity.
The Colignan (near Mildura) plant in north-west Victoria has
operated since 1991 and makes natural tartaric acid, natural cream of tartar and food grade spirit, supplied to the wine industry.