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.”