As we say goodbye to 2020 and welcome in the new year 2021, the Wastes to Profits team would like to wish all of you a Happy
New Year! Last year, was certainly one for the history books, from devastating bushfires to a global pandemic. Luckily we are now starting to see the slow lifting of restrictions, opening of state boarders and the overseas release of a vaccine which may reach our shores in Australia by March 2021.
The Wastes to Profits project has been impacted by the pandemic in ways that we could not of imagined, and everyone has earned a well deserved break over December and January, with most of the team back on board from mid-January 2021 ready for our final year of this project.
In this newsletter we highlight our activities between October – December 2020, which has included:
- Aquaculture trials for one of our protein rich feed additives has begun at the University of Queensland Aquatic Health lab in collaboration with our partners.
- Progress towards establishing larger scale pilots and demonstrations of the technologies being developed including the successful larger scale trials of fuels from organic solid wastes, using hydrothermal liquefaction.
- Continued field and glasshouse agronomic studies using digestate and different blends of urea and digestate (organomineral fertilisers) to establish their fertiliser replacement value relative to synthetic fertilisers of known performance.
- ADadvisor online tool beta version was presented to project partners for feedback, this will be further developed in 2021.
We ask you to express your interest in attending future webinars or events run by the Wastes to Profits team. We welcome your interest, involvement and feedback. Please make sure to visit the website, sign up to the newsletter and encourage your colleagues to do the same. If you need more information or want to become actively involved in the project, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Research spotlight
In this section we have videos from the Wastes to Profits team about their research. If there are specific topics that you would like to see from the team – please contact us. |
Area 3 Lead – Prof Robert Speight
Prof Robert Speight provides an overview of the Wastes to Profits research area developing technologies for the production of nutritionally-advanced animal feeds. Watch the researcher spotlight video here.
Engagement and Collaboration
In this section we highlight specific events, engagement and collaboration activities of the Wastes to Profits team. If there are specific meetings, events or sites that you would like to see the team present or attend – please contact us. |
ADAdvisor Online Tool
The Wastes to Profits partners got to see the beta version of the ADAdvisor tool, which was presented by the University of Southern Queensland Centre for Agricultural Engineering team Prof Bernadette McCabe, Dr Peter Harris and Dr Stephan Tait. Partners were impressed with the progress and look forward to working with the team to input real data and improve the tool over 2021. |
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Aquaculture Trials
Visited the University of Queensland Aquatic Health Lab where the first aquaculture trial has begun to establish a potential commercial value for one of our feed additives. Collaboration and our industry partners are essential for this trial to go ahead. Left to right: A/Prof Andrew Barnes, Dr Tim Huelsen & Prof Rob Speight. |
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Sampling continues
COVID-19 has impacted the project through restricted access to partners sites. In the past three months we have slowly begun to start up our intensive sampling programs in Queensland and Victoria. Couriering samples up from Victoria is no small feat, and we are still perfecting the logistics. |
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Other potential events of interest
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Beef Australia 2021
2 – 8 May 2021 Rockhampton, Queensland
The Australian beef industry assembles every three years in Rockhampton to compete, showcase, learn about and celebrate industry innovations and achievements. Click here to learn more.
Beef Australia’s vision: To be a world class organisation that promotes and advances a sustainable beef industry. |
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The Wastes to Profits Project Overview
The Wastes to Profits project aims to capture a potential market opportunity for the livestock sector in excess of AUD$100 million per year by converting wastes into valuable products.
The Wastes to Profits project brings together stakeholders from across Australia’s animal industries with technology, research and development providers. The project delivers advanced technologies to convert wastes from livestock production and municipal water treatment into fertilisers, feeds, chemicals, and energy products for use in agriculture. The overall aim of the project is to improve productivity and enhance profitability for primary producers.
The project focuses on the following 4 areas;
- Area 1: Assessing waste streams from the livestock sector, developing business models and pathways to adoption to promote commercial application of project outcomes;
- Area 2: Developing technologies for improved management of wastes with a key focus on anaerobic digestion as a platform for energy production from waste;
- Area 3: Developing technologies for the production of nutritionally-advanced feeds; and
- Area 4: Developing technologies for production of fertilisers, chemicals, plastics, and energy products.
We welcome your interest, involvement and feedback throughout this four year project from 2018 to 2021. Please make sure to visit the website, sign up to the newsletter and encourage your colleagues to do the same. If you need more information or want to become actively involved in the project, please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Chair, Wastes to Profits Steering Committee
Doug McNicholl
Program Manager, Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA)
e: dmcnicholl@mla.com.au
p: 0439 275 794 |
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Chief Investigator, Wastes to Profits
Prof Ian O’Hara
Principal Research Fellow, Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
e: i.ohara@qut.edu.au
p: (07) 3138 1551 |
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Project Manager, Wastes to Profits
Lisa van den Berg
Queensland University of Technology (QUT)
e: lisa.vandenberg@qut.edu.au
p: (07) 3138 1415 |
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