General News
3 May, 2026
Biogas project struck for Ararat Meat Exports
BALLARAT based bioenergy and waste management company Gaia EnviroTech has been contracted to build and maintain a renewable biogas energy system for Ararat Meat Exports.
The new system was announced this week and will vastly improve the local abattoirs fuel security into the future.
Gaia will build and maintain what’s known as a BOOM model to provide renewable biogas to the plant.
Having tested the commercial viability of this project at the companies Ballarat base, Gaia Envirotech will fund, own, and operate the fully engineered advanced technology system to be installed for Ararat Meat Exports.
The project is being supported by a $407,000 Waste to Energy Bioenergy grant from the Victorian Government.
A six-cell modular anaerobic digestion system has been selected to process high-grade abattoir waste, generating renewable biogas to fuel an on-site boiler used in rendering operations.
The system is expected to improve fuel security for the abattoir through substituting 25 per cent of the site’s fossil gas consumption with low-carbon biogas.
The biogas is expected to replace fossil gas, insulate against rising
wholesale gas prices in Victoria, and protect against possible future grid supply shortfalls.
Beyond energy generation, the project is expected to deliver substantial environmental, waste management and financial benefits.
Diverting organic waste into the digestion system will reduce reliance on on-site composting and waste disposal, lower methane emissions, improve odour management and assist in the cost optimisation of organic waste.
Gaia EnviroTech CEO Brendan Dow said it was an exciting circular economy project.
“By converting organic waste into renewable energy on-site, and with the help of Sustainability Victoria, we are helping deliver and demonstrate more sustainable and cost efficient operations for Victorian food processors, including the abattoir sector.”
A spokesperson for Ararat Meat Exports said the project represents a major step forward in improving sustainability outcomes, alongside financial and energy security at the facility.
“This initiative strengthens our approach to organic waste management while reducing energy use and improving overall environmental performance,” the spokesperson said.
Matt Genever, CEO of Sustainability Victoria, is delighted to see another bioenergy project underway in the state.
“Many food and meat processors in this state are struggling to find ways to decarbonise their operations, especially where electricity cannot replace gas in hard-to-abate sectors that require high
heat intensity. We must find ways to support our agriculture, manufacturing, and food and meat processing sectors, and thereby protect jobs and retain those skills for the future,” he said.
Ararat Rural City Council CEO Dr Tim Harrison said
“It’s reusing waste product from the facility to generate gas they can then reuse in their business., It’s a really good piece of circular economy work,” Dr Harrison said.
The technology will be manufactured by Gaia’s sister company Gekko Systems in Ballarat.
Work on site is expected to be underway by the end of the financial year.
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