Peats Group Ltd – Whyalla Composting Facility Opening
Leading organics recycling, composting and renewable energy manufacturer Peats Group Ltd
are proud to announce the official opening of their fourth compost and renewable energy manufacturing site located at Whyalla City Council’s Mount Laura Waste and Resource Recovery Centre, Lot 20 Iron Knob Road, Whyalla Barson South Australia, with a special by invitation only event to be held on site on the 8th May 2019 at 10.00am.
Opening of the site comes almost 12 months after the Australian Government funded its $222.3 million Regional Jobs and Investment Packages (RJIP) program, awarding Peats with one of nine Upper Spencer Gulf Region Grants for an Advanced Composting and Renewable Energy Facility. The projected capital expenditure budget of $5.49 million will create 60 part-time jobs over the next 2 years and 12 full-time jobs into the future offering new jobs to people sourced from the local region.
The production of compost product to enhance and put further life into regional soils begins operation on Wednesday 1st May 2019, with plans for the renewable energy plant to be fully operational by 30th June 2020.
The Peats project incorporates the construction of an Advanced Composting Facility, the purpose of which is to accept green, organic and food waste, digest the waste using Anaerobic Digestion, to produce both Biogas for sale into the grid and a compost product that can be sold to surrounding agricultural markets for soil improvement and carbon enhancement.
The Whyalla City Council site is the first of others planned for the Upper Spencer Gulf region as part of the RJIP grant incentive for Peats to expand its current SA operations.
The venture funded by the Australian Government’s RJIP program and undertaken by the Peats group will transform this site into a producer of renewable energy potentially providing very cost-effective electricity into the grid whilst producing valuable soil improvement organic and semi-organic products which farmers, landscapers, councils and households can use to add humic and fulvic supplements to their soils whilst adding water saving, carbon improving qualities – all of which are fundamentals for improved outputs in the local regional horticultural, viticultural, agricultural and meat production industries.
Over the 45 years of Peats business history, the company has gained valuable field study data from the farming community who have been using Peats products in bulk, bagged, pellet and granule formats boasting both product quality and yield improvements when compared to outputs experienced prior to using these organically based products. Company scientists and industry professionals continually work with the business to improve processes and products are certified and tested to meet Australian standards.
Redirecting organic recyclable materials from homes and businesses away from landfill means that ozone depleting methane gas is redirected into captured biogas for renewable energy (electricity) production without affecting the production of the valuable soil improvement products.
On top of the recent announcements by British steel magnate Sanjeev Gupta to build one of the biggest steelworks in the world in Whyalla, which would aim to pump billions of dollars into the state’s economy and quadruple the city’s population, there is also a $145 million intensive horticulture project powered by solar energy backed by Chinese investors, a new $45 million hotel on the foreshore to be built by the Pelligra Group, owners of the Holden site in Elizabeth, and the $5.49 million green organics recycling plant being built by Peats. The projects aim to boost Whyalla’s population from about 20,000 to about 80,000, which would make it easily South Australia’s biggest regional city.
Peter Wadewitz, Managing Director of Peats Group Ltd, has a vision for further innovative expansion to assist the Upper Spencer Gulf region and create even more jobs locally. This includes extension of the already successful grease trap waste and other dirty liquid wastes being turned into Biodiesel fuel for its existing fleet of 25 diesel operating heavy haulage road and tractor vehicles.
The biodiesel plant installed at Peats Brinkley site separates fats from water using Peats proprietary technology and converts it into biodiesel after mixing it with ethanol, produced from organic grown sorghum to fuel its vehicles. Call it a mix of old fashioned “Flintstones” basics with futuristic “Mad Max” fossil fuel free ideas but today we have the very innovative SA based Peats Group Ltd actually doing it!
Peter says, “We use around 1.5 million litres of diesel in our trucks and tractors annually. We intend to replace all of this over the next 12 months with organic biodiesel. This project is both a commercial and environmental one for us. It is technology which Peats Group are selling to Asia, Middle East, USA and other global markets. The Upper Spencer Gulf will benefit greatly from adopting this technology as part of the value-added package of environmentally friendly initiatives we intend to bring to the region while adding more jobs.”
Keep a close eye on this space. Meanwhile the official opening event with its federal, state and regional distinguished guests aims to be even more informative and a celebration of both growth in renewable energy technologies in the Upper Spencer Gulf region and expansion of a proud South Australian company with a great vision for the future.
For More Information |Peats Group Ltd, Peats Soil & Garden Head Office, 22 Flour Mill Road, Whites Valley, 5172
Helen Waghorn |Sales Support & Administration Officer
e sales@peatssoil.com.au | p 08 8556 5295 | w peatssoil.com.au
More about Peats Group – https://www.peatssoil.com.au/news/waste-not-want-not-peats-landline-exclusive-on-the-war-on-waste/
