Biological fertiliser company Neutrog Australia is investing in a world-leading pilot program at its Adelaide Hills facility aimed at improving efficiency and environmental outcomes.
Neutrog is partnering with global waste science companies Sustainable Generation and Gore to undertake a nine-month trial of an advanced Covered Aerated Static Pile (CASP) plant at the Kanmantoo site.
The custom-built CASP system, ideally suits the existing aerobic ageing and curing process used by Neutrog. The system involves enclosing material in air, temperature and moisture-controlled chambers that constantly monitor and report on the status of the material, through real-time data capture.
CASP systems used overseas have been shown to significantly reduce dust and odour emissions and eliminate fire risk.
Neutrog Australia Managing Director Angus Irwin said the decision to proceed with the pilot program was made after an extensive search of the latest technical advances across the global sustainability, waste recovery and compositing industries.
“Over the past three years we have been exploring and evaluating a range of options to further enhance and improve our operations,” Mr Irwin said.
“This has included site visits and presentations with numerous organisations. From the outset, we were drawn to the proven technology of these two highly reputable businesses and their understanding of our proven aerobic process. Along the way, we have continued to listen to our local community and consider how any proposed change to our process could positively impact the surrounding area.
“We are confident the trial will demonstrate the capacity of a CASP system to have widespread benefits for our process, the high quality products we manufacture, as well as supporting our ongoing commitment to minimising the impact of our operations on the surrounding area, including specifically odour, dust and fire risk.”
“Sustainable Generation and Gore have proven success in these areas, including in California which operates under some of the strictest environmental regulations in the world.”
The pilot program, undertaken in consultation with the EPA, represents a significant initial investment by Neutrog Australia with the view that, if successful, the technology could be rolled out across our operations as part of a multi-million dollar commitment to sustainability and our community.
“The system will be put to the test across multiple batches of material to ensure we have robust assessment of its capability, and while it’s only early days, the CASP is running as expected,” Mr Irwin said.
“We look forward to sharing the progress of this important program with our community and stakeholders over its duration.”