A cotton gin and bespoke photo voltaic farm in northern NSW are the primary section of a plan to make “green” cotton and sustainable fertilisers from clear vitality.
Traceability, or having the ability to observe a product by way of its provide chain, is a precedence for customers who need extra details about all elements of how their items are produced.
A partnership of Australian agribusiness Sundown Pastoral Co and New Zealand hydrogen firm Hiringa Energy is decarbonising cotton manufacturing after getting a NSW authorities grant of $35.8 million in March.
Sundown proprietor David Statham stated the venture can be a blueprint for low-carbon fertiliser manufacturing as international customers begin to demand sustainable meals and fibre.
“Exemplifying how Australia can decouple agriculture from fossil fuel-driven fertiliser production, we’ll also provide a credible pathway for heavy trucking to transition to low-emission transport,” he stated.
A 27-megawatt photo voltaic farm will energy the seasonal ginning operations, feed extra electrical energy into the grid, and supply vitality for making hydrogen and ammonia to switch diesel, bottled fuel and nitrogen-based fertilisers.
The Wathagar Solar Farm venture is being developed in phases, with the 9MW first stage that is up and operating to be adopted by two extra similar-sized modules.
The subsequent section will contain the development of a plant to make use of the photo voltaic vitality to make inexperienced hydrogen and renewable ammonia.
“It will also drive employment growth by targeting the use of local staff and contractors,” Hiringa spokesman David Heard stated.
The venture will function on the Wathagar ginning facility web site on the Keytah agricultural property, close to Moree.
Keytah is likely one of the bigger cotton farms in Gwydir Valley, overlaying 65000 acres, the place Sundown runs a sustainable cropping operation.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
