Kilcoy Bioenergy Cogeneration Project

Kilcoy Bioenergy Cogeneration Project is a wastewater treatment and energy generation project located at the Kilcoy Global Foods abattoir in Winya, approximately 2 kilometers east of the township of Kilcoy and 100 kilometers northwest of Brisbane, Queensland. Registered in June 2020, the project operates within the industrial landholding of the Kilcoy Pastoral Company, a major beef processor in the Somerset Region. The surrounding area is characterized by a mix of intensive grazing, agriculture, and forestry operations.

The project operates under the Domestic, Commercial and Industrial Wastewater methodology. This method involves capturing methane, a potent greenhouse gas generated during the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in wastewater, that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere from open ponds. The project activity specifically involved replacing deep open anaerobic lagoons with covered anaerobic digesters. The captured biogas is then combusted in internal combustion engines to generate electricity and heat, a process known as cogeneration.

Environmentally, the Kilcoy region is classified as sub-tropical with a relatively high average annual rainfall of approximately 1,000mm, although recent trends indicate a slight decrease. The local landscape features a diverse range of soil types, predominantly black, grey, and brown vertosols (cracking clays) and red-brown earths, which support the region's productive pasturelands.

A notable feature of this project is its scale and integration into the proponent's wider sustainability strategy. The system includes three Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units with a total capacity of 4MW, capable of generating enough renewable electricity to power the equivalent of 4,000 homes. This energy generation allows the facility to reduce its reliance on the grid significantly. When combined with a separate biomass boiler project at the same site, these initiatives have enabled Kilcoy Global Foods to market certified "carbon neutral" beef products, a first for a large-scale Australian beef processor.