Casino Food Co is to begin construction on an anaerobic digestion facility at its beef processing operations in northern New South Wales, in a project developed in partnership with technology provider LMS Energy.
The Casino Biohub will be built on the company's San Marla farm near Casino and will treat abattoir effluent using anaerobic digestion, capturing methane-rich biogas that would otherwise be vented to atmosphere. In the first stage, captured gas will be destroyed via flaring. A second stage is planned to convert biogas into electricity to power boilers and other on-site infrastructure.
The facility will include a 50-million-litre covered anaerobic lagoon and a biogas flare. Construction is due to start this week, with the project expected to be operational by the first quarter of 2027.
Casino Food Co chairman Lennard Blok said the Biohub was expected to reduce emissions by around 35,000 tonnes of carbon equivalent per year, equivalent to removing approximately 11,200 cars from the road. The project is also anticipated to eliminate more than 98% of the facility's Scope 1 emissions associated with effluent treatment.
LMS Energy chief executive Matthew Falzon said methane was up to 86 times more potent than carbon dioxide over the short term, making its reduction among the most effective near-term actions available to industry.
Construction began last week, with the groundbreaking attended by local and federal elected representatives alongside company and project executives.
Australian meat processor to cut emissions with anaerobic digestion facility
