Wood burn power a winner

A YARRA Junction sawmill has taken out a top industry award for its environmental efforts.
Reid Bros has added to its impressive list of awards from the last decade towards improving the sustainability of the timber industry with new technology that reduces its carbon footprint.
The technology uses heat from steam generated by a boiler, fuelled by timber residues from mill operations and waste obtained free of charge from nearby furniture manufacturers, to create electricity. This in turn reduces the amount of wood waste entering landfills.
The Reid Bros sawmill won the Innovation Award at the 2011 Victorian Association of Forest Industries’ (VAFI) annual dinner.
Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said the award recognised the investment the business had made in a power generator heat engine developed by local business gT – Energy Technologies.
VAFI CEO Lisa Marty said the award highlighted the efforts Reid Bros had made to minimise their carbon footprint and keep the forest and wood products industry competitive and relevant in the 21st century.
“This investment will reduce the mills’ reliance on energy produced by fossil fuels and will allow them to create energy from waste products,” she said.
The generators also have zero emissions, the use of sawmill waste for power generation is carbon neutral, and the use of grid power to operate the mill is reduced, overall minimising carbon emissions and reducing costs.
The system should provide all or most of the weekend power needs and part of the weekday power requirements.
Ms Marty said it was important for the forest and wood products industry in Victoria to use every bit of resource available, and Reid Bros had shown a way to do this.
“This initiative showcases the innovative nature of the Victorian forest and wood products industry and the ways in which it continuously adapts to changing circumstances.”
The Innovation Award follows on from three awards Reid Bros has received from the Australian Timber Industry Certification (ATIC) for producing the highest quality product in the state in 2001, as well as the 2006 Quality Award and 2006 Environmental Sustainability Award.