Visy Paper Reservoir Energy Efficiency Project

The Visy Paper Reservoir Energy Efficiency Project is an industrial energy efficiency project located at the Visy Paper mill in Reservoir, Victoria, approximately 13km north of the Melbourne CBD. Registered in May 2015, the project operates within a major industrial facility dedicated to manufacturing 100% recycled paper products from kerbside and commercial waste.

This project operates under the Industrial Electricity and Fuel Efficiency methodology. Unlike land-sector projects that sequester carbon in vegetation, this methodology focuses on emissions avoidance. It credits the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions achieved by upgrading industrial equipment to be more energy-efficient. The project generates Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) by calculating the difference between the baseline energy consumption (what would have been used) and the actual energy consumption after the upgrades.

The Reservoir area is a highly urbanized and industrial zone situated on the Victorian Volcanic Plain. While the specific site is sealed and developed for heavy manufacturing, the region's underlying geology is characterized by basaltic clays and it receives a temperate rainfall of approximately 650mm annually.

Specific activities undertaken for this project include upgrades to lighting, heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) systems, as well as boiler improvements and the installation of variable speed drives (VSDs) to optimize motor energy use. The project was backed by a Carbon Abatement Contract (CAC102017) with the Australian Government, which was secured in May 2016 and has since been completed, resulting in the issuance of over 7,200 ACCUs.