GrainCorp Foods will upgrade its processing plant in West
Footscray, Victoria, to deliver extra capability including retail spreads,
bakery fats, and shortenings.
The project is part of a wider initiative by GrainCorp Oils
to integrate its edible oils and spreads manufacturing operations, which will
increase its overall competitiveness and reduce carbon emissions by around
25,000 tonnes per year.
The wider initiative will involve relocating GrainCorp
Foods’ processing and packing operation in Murrarie, Queensland, to its
existing operation in West Footscray, Victoria, as well as GrainCorp Oilseeds’
existing operation in Numurkah, Victoria. In turn, these operations will be
expanded and upgraded to accommodate the additional capacity.
The move will ensure greater integration of processing and
packing operations from Queensland, to Victoria and New South Wales, where
oilseed is already largely grown and crushed.
It will also reduce the trucking distance of the final
product by 550,000 kilometres per year to customers mostly based in Melbourne
and Sydney.
Wiley business operations director Simon Spittle said:
“Based on GrainCorp’s brief, we created a design for the West Footscray upgrade
to align with the company’s wider integration objectives.
“A major outcome of the project will be improving
environmental performance by reducing carbon emissions by around 25,000 tonnes
per year, thanks to the disuse of coal-fired equipment currently used to
generate steam at the Murrarie plant.
“GrainCorp’s investment in its West Footscray and Numurkah
sites will eliminate the need for the coal-fired equipment, providing GrainCorp
with the opportunity to invest in more efficient and environmentally-sustainable
technology.
“We look forward to working with GrainCorp on the upgrade to
the West Footscray operation and seeing its completion in September.”
GrainCorp Oils group general manager Sam Tainsh said: “The
project delivers a logical and more efficient focal point for the sourcing,
crushing, refining, and distribution of GrainCorp’s locally-produced edible
oils and food ingredients.
“We’re pleased to welcome Wiley on board to assist us in the
design and construction of the upgrade to our West Footscray facility.
“GrainCorp has successfully worked with Wiley on a previous
project. Their expertise in complex food manufacturing facilities made them the
right fit to undertake this project.
“The increase in efficiency will ensure we are able to
continue producing Australian-grown canola and other oilseeds, and therefore
continue supplying associated retail products, which are increasing in demand.”
Image (left to right): Frank Koot, BECA senior project manager,
David Burton Bradley, Wiley project manager, Ian Gahan Wiley, senior site manager,
Brendan Barfoot, Wiley process engineer, Trevor Somerville, Wiley site safety
coordinator, Josh Jeffrey, GrainCorp project manager