Meat provider switches to solar

Andrews Meat Industries (AMI) is introducing a solar installation that covers almost 90% of the roof at its Lidcombe facility. Approximately 6000 m², the installation is set to generate around 20% of the company’s energy needs from renewables (1202 megawatt hours per year), which equates to a decrease of more than 19,000 tonnes of emissions per annum.

The AMI 836 kW solar installation is the second for the JBS Australia Group, following the Primo Foods 3.2 MW installation at the Wacol facility in late 2018.

With the meat industry contributing heavily to the world’s carbon emissions, AMI Director Harry Andrews said the solar installation was a logical move to reduce the organisation’s carbon footprint.

The renewable energy installation is part of other recent sustainability initiatives implemented by AMI, including:

• Water consumption management — implementing washdown practices/times/pre-clean hygiene and ensuring the use of the most efficient spray nozzles, supplied by low pressure regulated pump stations.
• Use of environmentally safe cleaning detergents.
• Recycling of cardboard and paper products.
• LED lightening installation — upgrade stage one completed.
• Reduction of transport movements through greater customer delivery consolidation.
• Refrigeration — scheduled preventive plant maintenance to ensure efficient systems operation and minimise breakdowns, in order to achieve lower electricity and refrigerant consumption. Also implementing good work practices throughout the facility to ensure cold areas are well contained/insulated.

“As a market leader in the foodservice industry, we are committed to sustainably meeting the needs of our customers domestically and internationally,” Andrews said. “Operating in an industry with increasing and expensive energy usage means we need to take measures to reduce the environmental impact of our operations through sustainable business practices.”

Aerial view of the facility.

“As we strive to continually improve our resource efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint, the 2300-panel installation will make a considerable impact on our reliance on grid energy usage,” Andrews said.

Todae Solar, the same team who constructed the installation at Primo’s Wacol facility, will be implementing the solar solution at the AMI Lidcombe site. Aris Hovardas, General Manager Sales for Todae Solar, said: “We are happy to see an increasing number of food processing facilities offsetting their carbon emissions and reducing their electricity costs through self-generation.”