Sugar Mill overdue for an overhaul
Published Friday 16 October 2015
The sugar mill will begin restoration works this year and is set to take place immediately after the crushing season which is due to finish end of November, weather pending.
The Mossman Sugar Mill was acquired by Mackay Sugar in 2012 after it had been run down over the ten years prior to purchase. During the last three years $9 million dollars has been invested into the mill by Mackay Sugar, including the current restoration works scheduled to begin after this season.
General manager Haydn Slattery said the program of works over the past threes years has been done while working closley with the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP).
“We have been working the EHP regarding the capital works by keeping them well informed. We have conducted dust monitoring around town with several collection stations to record the level of dust over the past 12 months and the impact during the season and outside the crushing season,” said Mr Slattery.
Whilst the growers are informed directly of any impending issues regarding the Mill and how they are being addressed, the public may not be as well informed as there has been some recent complaints on social media regarding the stack omissions and dust levels causing public concern.
Mr Slattery admitted that there had only been a 50 percent reduction in stack omissions during the 2014 year despite works carried out on the dry dust collector in 2013.
“2015 has been worse than 2014. The larger boiler and dry dust collector will be replaced with a $2.5-$3 million boiler because of the dramatic increase in our omissions. This has been approved by the board and plans are in place,” said Mr Slattery.
The Mill has doubled its throughput to approximately 950,000 tonnes in 28 weeks. The prior year reaching 1.1 million in 36 weeks making it the second largest result at the Mill. It operates on a very limited waste system. From every stick of cane there is very little left over informed Mr Slattery.
“We use the fibrous material from the cane called bagasse to burn in the boiler. We use a small amount of coal when we start off the season, but the bagasse is a renewable product so we are not burning coal or fossil fuel to generate the steam in the boilers to operate the plant and electricity both on site and externally. We’re exporting power to the grid,” he said.
During storm weather the Mill operates as an “island” by turning off their Ergon supply and is able to operate completely self sufficiently.
From the bagasse to the dirt and impurities which are separated and formed into a mud which is used by the farmers as fertiliser due the its high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, to 30 percent of the recycled water returned to the waterways as well as the molasses sold as stock feed, there is very little left over.
“We’re always thinking about what are the renewable resources we can use,” said Slattery.
While the Mill currently do not produce the food grade raw sugar on site, they are the only sugar mill in Queensland that is certified to carry out the refinery process.
Over the last 12 months the Mill has doubled their throughput from half a million to one million tonnes, there has been a 25% increase in employees as well as moving from a 5 day to 7 day per week operation, together with the new capital works program estimated to be up to $3 million dollars. It would appear, moving forward, the iconic treasurer in Mossman will continue to operate full steam ahead.
