Page 15 - National Poultry Newspaper

Solar power system pays off for Australia’s largest free range chicken farm
AUSTRALIA’s biggest free range chicken farm has reduced its power bill after installing one of agriculture’s most ex- tensive solar and battery systems.
There are 42 sheds and around 10 million birds are turned over each year.
in the 1.5 feed-conversion ratios.
pacted profits and prompt- ed the owners to invest in renewable energy.
energy management plat- form.
verted into a nutrient-rich compost, which is then available for purchase.
it doesn’t have to be a piggery.
AAM representative Ben Edser said, “Before we put the system in, our cost of energy imported from the network was get- ting towards $1 million.”
The chickens start using the ranging areas – double the size of the sheds – at three weeks of age, when they can regulate their body temperature.
AAM – better known in cattle and sheep cir- cles as the operator of the Regional Livestock Exchange saleyards – de- cided to diversify its pro- tein portfolio and poultry came out on top.
“It’s really how we blend and manage that load and use power within the com- plex, but also taking into account the voltage and network prices.”
“This is all about turn- ing what was a cost and an issue into an opportu- nity, and it doesn’t have to be a chicken farm,
“This is much bigger than us.
“Following the invest- ment, which has been circa $5 million, we’ve been able to reduce our consumption by about 70 percent,” Mr Edser said.
They are collected for processing two to five weeks later, depending on the market.
“Its continuity and reli- ability of revenue is the key for us,” Mr Edser said.
“Which, to try and put in- to normal everyday speak, is something like taking 1200 cars off the road or planting 25,000 trees.”
Another way the farm is cutting costs is to turn its waste into compost.
The farm at Blanche- town in South Australia does free ranging on a massive scale.
A A M livestock invest- ments manager Nathan Morris said, “They’re super-efficient little con- verters.”
“We have basically no exposure to weather or to commodity prices going up and down.”
More than 50,000 cubic metres of soiled straw and manure comes out of the sheds each year.
Poultry producer Ing- ham’s supplies the chicks and feed, and AAM raises the birds.
“That means they eat 1.5kg of grain proteins to put on 1kg of meat.
With the support of $1.3 million in State Govern- ment funding, AAM add- ed 1.4 megawatts of solar panels to the farm sheds and installed five Tesla batteries.
“While we might be an energy generator at one site, we might be an ener- gy consumer at another,” Mr Edser said.
“This was costing the business over $200,000 a year,” Mr Edser said.
“Anywhere you’ve got intensive energy usage, these sorts of technologies can be applied.
“These birds are often
However, it was initially exposed to volatile elec- tricity prices, which im-
To get the best out of the new infrastructure, the owners have developed an
After a few months of monitoring and turning, the raw material is con-
“As part of putting in the solar and the batteries, we are now abating 1500 tonnes of CO2 equiva- lence,” Mr Edser said.
“This has far greater opportunities for agricul- ture.”
■ Here’s my Card ■ Here’s my Card ■ Here’s my Card Brendon Cant T +61 8 9430 9463
1300-R&R Sheds BC.indd 1
2/8/11 7:19:33 PM
Agribusiness
Dr Ray Johnson
Advisory / Valuations / Transactions
Principal and Managing Director
Will Gurry
Valuations & Advisory 0488 553 988 will.gurry@ap.jll.com
Chris Holgar Transactions
0411 177 167 chris.holgar@ap.jll.com
Principal and Managing Director
R & E SHEDS
Lot 63 Mersey Rd Bringelly NSW 2556 Fax: 02 4774 8415
Etienne Mifsud Mob: 0428 481 811 Mob: 0417 481 811
Built to Last
Of ce: 02 4774 8764 Email: reshed@bigpond.com
www.stockyardindustries.com
54 King Street, Clifton Queensland, Australia 4361 Telephone: 07 4697 3344 Facsimile: 07 4697 3532
Better outcomes through advanced systems
Mark Bennett Branko Karaconji DVM Veterinarian
Steven Black
Ronnie O’Rorke
0427 627 774 0448 055 159
Zoetis Australia Pty Ltd
0437 627 000 0419 648 433
Level 6, 5 Rider Boulevard, Rhodes NSW 2138
PO Box 6066, Silverwater NSW 2128
T:1800 814 883 F: 02 8876 0444 W: www.zoetis.com.au
Steven Clohesy
Mobile: 0427 733 141
Email: steven@stockyardindustries.com
Dr Ray Johnson
3 Spring Street, Sydney NSW 2000
M: 0419 012 841 | T: 02 9223 9944
Dr REa: yrayJ@oahgrni.csoomn.au | www.agri.com.au Principal and Managing Director
From paddock to plate, we know people: how to find them and
Agribusiness Food manufacture & retail Wine
Agribusiness
Food manufacture & retail Wine
make sure they’re right for your role and culture.
DrTom Harrison BVSc
Business Manager - Swine & Poultry
27-33 Piper Lane East Bendigo Victoria 3550 PO Box 2388 Bendigo DC 3554
M: +61 428 668 266 P: +613 5445 5435 F: +613 5445 5914 E: tom.harrison@apiam.com.au
Come clean with steam
Ÿ Hot Wash & Steam Cleaners to 130°C
Ÿ 4,000 psi
Ÿ 240v & 415v
Ÿ Stainless steel covers
Ÿ Loads of features
Ÿ Aussie quality
Ÿ Great prices for Australian Poultry Industries members
Aussie Pumps
02 8865 3500
aussiepumps.com.au
NATIONAL
Advertise
your business card here
call 07 3286 1833
poultrynews.com.au • ben@collins.media
www.poultrynews.com.au
National Poultry Newspaper, December 2020 – Page 15
Managing Director
M +61 417 930 536
E brendon@iinet.net.au
BCAPR Pty Ltd (ACN 159 299 966) PO Box 749 South Fremantle Western Australia 6162
LALLEMAND ANIMAL NUTRITION
Alison Leary - Technical Services Manager Mob: 0488 715 151 | aleary@lallemand.com
Nathan Lister - Technical Services Manager Mob: 0438 190 388 | nlister@lallemand.com
Alex Turney - Managing Director, AUS & NZ Mob: 0419 005 511 | aturney@lallemand.com
www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com
SPECIFIC FOR YOUR SUCCESS
INSPIRED MOLECULAR SOLUTIONSTM
Associate Professor Peter Groves BVSc MANZCVS PhD Director Poultry Research Founda on
Faculty of Science
The University of Sydney- Camden Campus
N138 JL Shute Building C01
425 Werombi Road, Brownlow Hill NSW 2570 Australia
BASF Australia Ltd. Level 12 28 Freshwater Place Southbank VIC 3006 Mobile +61 457 104 105 Fax +61 3 8855 6511 leon.hall@basf.com www.animal-nutrition.basf.com
Leon Hall
MBA, B.Sc.(Agric.) (Hons.) Anim. Sci.
Industry Manager, Animal Nutrition Australia & New Zealand
+61 2 9351 1612 +61 2 9351 1693 (fax) peter.groves@sydney.edu.au sydney.edu.au
+61 418 118 005
Matt Henry
Country Manager (AgriFood Australia)
Suite 6-7, 694 Pacific Highway, Killara NSW 2071, Sydney, Australia & New Zealand Phone: 61 2 9844 5700 | Fax: 61 2 9418 2544
Phone: 1300 815 888
(+61) 07 3281 3200
Fax: 1300 816 888
(+61) 07 3281 8295 enquiries@santrev.com.au
PO Box 95, Ipswich Queensland Australia 4305
www.santrev.com
The Chicken Grower’s Choice
mob: 0439 136 602 matthew.henry@kemin.com