en.Wedoany.com Reported - Queensland vegetable company Kalfresh has selected German anaerobic digestion technology supplier WELTEC BIOPOWER to provide technical support for its bioenergy facility in Kalbar. The facility will become a core component of the new Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct.
Under the agreement signed by both parties, WELTEC will design and build the first phase of the bioenergy facility. WELTEC equipment is expected to arrive at the site by the end of August, when construction of the first anaerobic digestion (AD) tank will commence. Kalfresh CEO Richard Gorman stated that WELTEC will use its stainless steel tank technology to ensure durability and corrosion resistance. He emphasized that Kalfresh has visited multiple operational bioenergy sites overseas, including projects designed and built by WELTEC, whose systems are known for high efficiency, quality, and stable performance. In April, Kalfresh also organized a trip for Queensland farmers to visit WELTEC sites in Germany.
This collaboration aims to convert crop residues, processing by-products, and agricultural waste from Kalfresh's vertically integrated operations into a variety of renewable by-products. Among them, nutrient-rich digestate will be returned to farmland as biofertilizer to promote circular agriculture. Founded in 2001, WELTEC BIOPOWER has planned, delivered, and built over 450 dedicated stainless steel biogas plants worldwide. WELTEC BIOPOWER CEO and Head of Sales Dirk Krumdieck stated that the agreement reflects extensive preparatory work and technical planning between the two parties in recent years, and WELTEC will deliver a flagship project in Australia that combines agricultural innovation with European biogas engineering experience.
The project will be delivered in three phases. Phase one includes building a large digestion tank with a diameter of 31.48 meters and a height of 8.8 meters, along with a digestate storage tank, supplemented by the WELTEC control system. At full capacity, the facility can be configured with 14 digestion tanks, generating enough energy to meet the electricity needs of up to 31,000 households, or to fuel trucks and buses traveling up to 98 million kilometers annually. Gorman noted that recent international events have highlighted the real need for fuel and fertilizer security, and introducing locally produced renewable natural gas is timely, helping Australian emitters transition to zero-emission operations.
The Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct will be located on a 40-hectare site along the Cunningham Highway, approximately one hour's drive from Brisbane. The precinct will focus on developing advanced food manufacturing, offering 16 fully serviced lots, three of which will be occupied by Kalfresh, with access to on-site renewable electricity and circular waste services.
