Devondale Murray Goulburn Project to Maximise the Fuel Economy of Making Steam (Revoked)

The Devondale Murray Goulburn Project to Maximise the Fuel Economy of Making Steam (Revoked) was an industrial energy efficiency project distributed across several key dairy processing facilities in Victoria. Registered in June 2016, the project operated at sites including Leongatha, Cobram, Koroit, Maffra, and Rochester. The project was revoked in November 2022, following the acquisition of the proponent, Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited, by the Canadian dairy giant Saputo.

The project utilized the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Industrial Electricity and Fuel Efficiency) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology credits emissions reductions achieved by improving the energy efficiency of industrial equipment. Specifically, this project focused on upgrading boilers, switching fuels, and capturing waste heat to improve the "fuel economy of making steam" required for dairy processing. By reducing the fuel and electricity needed to process milk into products like cheese and powder, the project generated Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) based on the avoided emissions compared to a business-as-usual baseline.

The locations span Victoria's premier dairy regions, each with distinct environmental characteristics. The Leongatha and Maffra sites are located in Gippsland, a region characterized by high rainfall and fertile soils supporting intensive grazing. The Koroit facility is situated in the Western District, known for its rich volcanic soils and reliable rainfall. Conversely, the Cobram and Rochester sites lie in Northern Victoria within the Murray-Darling Basin; this region is semi-arid with alluvial soils and relies heavily on irrigation systems to support dairy farming.

A notable aspect of this project is its connection to the restructuring of the Australian dairy industry. Murray Goulburn was Australia's largest dairy cooperative before its assets were sold to Saputo in 2018. The revocation of the project in 2022 occurred shortly before the standard seven-year crediting period for this methodology would have naturally concluded, likely resulting from the consolidation of assets and operational changes under the new ownership.