Berrima Alternative Fuel Substitution and Kiln Energy Efficiency Project

Berrima Alternative Fuel Substitution and Kiln Energy Efficiency Project is an industrial energy efficiency and fuel switching project located at the Boral Cement Works in New Berrima, approximately 120km southwest of Sydney in the Southern Highlands of NSW. Registered in May 2021, the project is situated within an industrial zone surrounded by the grazing and rural residential landscapes typical of the Wingecarribee Shire. The region is characterized by a temperate climate with reliable rainfall and soils derived largely from Wianamatta Shale and Hawkesbury Sandstone, consisting of sandy loams and clays.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative, Industrial and Commercial Emissions Reduction) Methodology Determination 2021 (ICER). This methodology credits abatement generated by reducing the emissions intensity of industrial processes, often through upgrading equipment or switching to lower-emission fuel sources. While the registered proponent is Northmore Gordon Pty Ltd, a specialist energy and carbon consultancy, the underlying asset is Boral’s Berrima Cement Works.

The primary activity involves transitioning the kiln's thermal energy source from coal to alternative fuels, such as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF), woodchips, and end-of-life tyres. A key component of this upgrade was the installation of a chlorine bypass system, commissioned around 2024, which prevents the buildup of volatile compounds like chlorides that previously limited the use of waste-derived fuels. This technology aims to increase the kiln's thermal energy substitution rate to 60%, diverting approximately 73,000 tonnes of waste from landfill annually and significantly reducing Scope 1 emissions.