A group of Kalfresh farmers have just returned from a European bioenergy study tour where they visited anaerobic digestion facilities and farms in Denmark, Germany and the UK to see the crop waste to energy system first-hand.
The group of seven from the Scenic Rim and Bowen met with European farmers, equipment manufacturers and energy specialists to learn more about the closed loop farm waste to energy system we’re building at Kalbar.
Kalfresh is on track to deliver our first energy by mid 2027 and in preparation we wanted Kalfresh’s local farming partners to hear directly from European colleagues, many of whom have been creating energy from their farm waste for years.
First-hand experience from European farmers
Kalfresh co-owner Angus Stainlay says they had open, honest conversations with European farmers, who shared their first-hand experiences of replacing synthetic fertiliser with digestate and being part of the energy market.
“We saw bioenergy production working symbiotically with industry, with a food processing factory and AD facility side by side, simultaneously reducing waste and carbon emissions.
“Europe’s largest potato fry processor pipes potato peel waste directly into a neighbouring AD facility and they send back hot water/steam to help peel potatoes and electricity to power the plant.”
Digestate fertiliser widely used
Kalfresh founding director Rob Hinrichsen says they saw prolific use of digestate by farmers wherever they visited, as by-product of the energy system and a natural soil conditioner that removes reliance on synthetic fertiliser.
“What we saw clear as day as we drove around was the scale of participation in all the farming regions we visited. It is commonplace and in general use by farmers across dairies, piggeries, grain crops and horticulture.
“It’s new technology and equipment for Australia but seeing it so established overseas on farm-after-farm was a powerful experience for our growers to see first-hand.”
Kalbar farmer Michael Rieck says it was beneficial and eye-opening to see the energy system at work.
“To see it in action and witness the benefit it brings to the community is really eye-opening. At the moment we’re being squeezed with rising input costs, including fertiliser, so it’s interesting to think about how this will help in the future. We’re always looking to maximise returns from a crop … we can send parts ofthe crop that are not fit for human consumption to the digester and receive a fertiliser for the farm in return.”
Zero waste, direction injection RNG
In the UK the group saw an impressive zero waste agriculture system, 20 years old, that injects renewable gas into the pipeline and used virtual pipelines to supply RNG gas to fuel trucks at a public-access service hub.
Kalfresh CEO Richard Gorman says the trip was about showing not telling the local farming community.
“I’ve been researching and visiting AD sites for more than a decade and while I can tell farmers here how good it is I know that seeing is believing. That was what this study tour was about. We work closely with this group of farmers every day to grow food crops and it was important to us that they understood our vision and motivation for moving into the energy space.
“This just makes so much sense for farmers in terms of diversifying income, transforming waste and removing imported synthetic fertilisers from our farming system.
“The farmers from Kalbar and Bowen will play a critical role in the success of our first bioenergy facility – they will supply feedstock and they will use the fertiliser we produce. It’s important that they understand and believe in the system for it to really succeed.”