Big River Timbers sawmill at Grafton is now producing 40 to 50 per cent of its electricity from mill waste. Here, managing director Jim Bindon and plant enegineer, Leigh Morley, look over the steam power generator. Photo by Howard Spencer.

NSW State Government Industry Development Assistance (IDA) funding has helped Grafton’s Big River Timbers build a new electricity co-generation plant officially opened in April.

“The IDA contributed 20 per cent of the cost of the project, which in dollar terms amounts to more than $360 000,” said managing director of Big River Timbers, Jim Bindon.

“Big River Timbers was able to bring the project in under budget at $1,840,510.

“What also makes this project attractive, apart from the economic and environmental benefits to Big River Timbers, is that it has provided three new jobs for the Clarence region.”

The project was signed off by the state government in October 2004 and was developed with assistance from the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Jim said Big River Timbers was one of the first timber businesses in Australia to value add their waste product into the production of renewable energy.

Big River Timbers is using mill waste and chip to generate electricity to offset some of their energy use.

Jim said the plant, officially classed as a power station by the Office of Renewable Energy, is an addition to the existing mill steam boiler.

“We are going one step further and producing high pressure steam,” Jim said. “The mill uses offcuts and other waste already to fuel the boiler.”

The 500kW plant will produce between 40 per cent and 50 per cent of the mill’s electricity needs.

This article appears in the Winter 2007 edition of Bush Telegraph Magazine.