SOILCO SITE TO ‘CLOSE THE LOOP’ IN KEMBLA GRANGE
An $8 million infrastructure works program at SOILCO’s Kembla Grange organics processing facility will allow for manufacture and distribution of SOILCO products back to local councils, businesses and residents from January next year.
Currently food, garden and timber waste received at SOILCO’s Kembla Grange transfer facility is transported 80 kilometres south to SOILCO’s Nowra manufacturing site.
The works commenced in July 2020 and on completion, the increase in processing capacity will allow for 35,000 tonnes a year of food and garden waste materials to remain in Kembla Grange for manufacture into finished soil health products.
SOILCO General Manager Charlie Emery said, “This increase in processing capacity will reduce heavy vehicle movements on local roads and boost local manufacturing capabilities”.
“Long term, this means the benefits derived from the processing of FOGO will remain with the local community that diverts this material from landfill,” Mr Emery said.
“SOILCO distributes quality-assured products to its council partners for regeneration of urban green spaces, returning the recycled material back to the local community.
“We’re building a new pre-processing facility and four more in vessel composting tunnels at the adjacent former Onesteel pipe manufacturing facility.
“Our existing enclosed organics processing building for pre-treatment of 70,000 tonnes a year of food, garden and timber waste was first constructed in 2012. In vessel composting tunnels were also commissioned to hygienise 15,000 tonnes a year of food and garden waste prior to transfer to our Wogamia site in Nowra”.
“On completion of the infrastructure works program, the original pre-treatment building will be utilised for manufacture and distribution of SOILCO’s compost and mulch products.”
The project is being funded by the Environmental Trust as part of the NSW EPA’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative.
“SOILCO has a good working relationship with the NSW EPA and our family owned business has been operating in Kembla Grange since 2001 and composting in the Illawarra since the mid 1980s.
“Our head office is now located in Kembla Grange where our in-house team manages all stages of project works from approval, design and construction to handover and operations.
“We currently employ 50 full time staff and more jobs will be created by our infrastructure projects along the coast of New South Wales and further expansion into Queensland and Victoria,” Mr Emery said.