One of Australia’s largest timber mills is going green after OneFortyOne announced a $30 million investment in a renewable biomass power generation project at its Jubilee Sawmill in Mt Gambier.
The South Australian Premier, Peter Malinauskas, was on hand to announce the $90 million investment in Jubilee Mill, which also includes the installation a new boiler and steam turbine.
This investment into one of South Australia’s most significant industries is exciting for our state. This is a welcome announcement, which means longevity of technology, reduced carbon emissions and renewable energy going back into the grid.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas upon announcing the investment into the Jubilee Mill last week
OneFourtyOne has a 105-year lease of 80,000 hectares of plantation assets in South Australia’s ‘Green Triangle’ and operates Nelson Forests Limited and Kaituna Mill in New Zealand.
“The Jubilee Sawmill has been part of OneFortyOne since 2018, and since that time, we have proudly invested in the team and the site every year,” according to Wendy Norris, OneFortyOne’s CEO. “The need to replace our current boiler, which is reaching its end of life, has presented us with a unique opportunity to rethink how we utilise steam and consume electricity at our site.”
“This investment not only supports our decarbonisation goals but also positions us for future opportunities in renewable energy,” Ms Norris said. “By installing a steam turbine power generation system, we will be able to produce electricity from biomass, significantly repurposing wood fibre, preparing for our future energy needs.”
Wood Central understands that the project will produce more than 43,800 mWh of renewable electricity every year once it is fully operational in 2026 and will achieve the following:
- Over 70% of OneFourtyOne’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction target
- Over 50% reduction in OneFortyOne’s total combined Scope 1 and 2 emissions
- Over 85% reduction in OneFortyOne’s total Scope 2 emissions
- And over 9,000 tCO2e emissions were avoided on 2021 levels.
The Jubilee Sawmill started producing electricity in 1956 and produced energy for Mount Gambier until the 1970s. The new turbine generated enough energy to power the entire Jubilee site. In addition, excess renewable electricity will be returned to the grid or used to enable future electrification of forklifts, trucks and other machinery.
- To learn more about the push to fully electrify machinery in the time supply chain, click here for Wood Central’s special feature.
