Goulburn Bioenergy Project

The Goulburn Bioenergy Project is an industrial wastewater bioenergy project located at the Southern Meats abattoir in Goulburn, New South Wales. It was registered in October 2015 and covers an unknown area size.

The Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Wastewater methodology involves treating organic wastewater by replacing traditional deep open lagoons with closed anaerobic digester systems. Standard requirements for this methodology dictate that the generated methane-rich biogas must be captured and combusted (e.g., using a flare or an internal combustion engine) to prevent the potent greenhouse gas from being released into the atmosphere.

The Goulburn region is well-known for its prominent cattle and sheep grazing operations. The area experiences a temperate climate with moderate, relatively reliable rainfall averaging around 655mm annually. Regional soils typically include podzolic soils, red-brown earths, and alluvial clays.

This project was set up to install an anaerobic digester to process the abattoir's industrial wastewater. The captured biogas is combusted using two 800 kW dual-fuel Caterpillar generators. A unique and innovative feature of this project is its ability to blend the generated biogas with natural gas during peak demand periods, allowing it to supply over 50% of the facility's power consumption and significantly reduce energy costs. Originally developed by Quantum Power Limited (which later rebranded to ReNu Energy), the project was supported by a $2.1 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The project's Carbon Abatement Contract was officially terminated in September 2024.