Meat co-op dilemma
Meat processor Alliance Group's cash-strapped farmer shareholders face a dilemma - either pour more money into the co-operative or risk losing 100% ownership and control.
The company, which is now installing the rendering machinery in the 1,121 square metre building at the company's Lorneville plant near Invercargill, is expected to commission the facility in October.
The rendering plant's technology is designed to reduce Alliance Group's energy and operating costs, as well as improve product recovery.
The new plant incorporates the latest technology including a Press Dewatering System, which uses less energy and produces high quality products. When fitted with a waste heat evaporator, the process is virtually "zero waste", resulting in high product yields and low wastewater output.
The new plant is the first stage in a larger rendering redevelopment project with two further stages proposed in the future. The complete project would save 9000 tonnes of lignite and more than 1.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power 170 homes every year.
Alliance Group processing manager John Brader says the new rendering plant represented the largest single investment at the Lorneville plant for more than a decade.
"Completion of the building marks a major milestone for the development. Rendering remains a significant contributor to Alliance Group's income and the investment in the latest technology will ensure we maximise revenue in this area.
"Alliance measures energy use and the associated greenhouse gas emissions from its plants to assist in making good business decisions.
"Since 2000, Alliance Group has reduced greenhouse gas emissions from energy use at its processing plants by 26% per unit of production and total fuel use has been reduced by 32%."
Almost 2000 people are employed at Lorneville, which is New Zealand's largest sheepmeat processing plant.
