Kalfresh selects Weltec Biopower for landmark bioenergy project

The Queensland-based vegetable business has signed an agreement with the German company to design and build the first stage of the bioenergy facility, which will anchor the new Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct.

With equipment due to arrive on site in late August 2026, construction of the first anaerobic digestion (AD) tank will begin.

The partnership marks a significant milestone and will unlock the paddock-to-power potential of Kalfresh’s vertically integrated business, which will turn crop residues, processing offcuts and agricultural waste into several renewable by-products.

The nutrient-rich digestate will be returned to farms as a biofertiliser, advancing Kalfresh’s long-term vision of circular agriculture.

According to Kalfresh CEO Richard Gorman, Weltec Biopower will use its proven stainless-steel tank technology, ensuring durability, corrosion resistance and long operational life.

For us, it was critical to work with a partner that has a track record of delivering reliable, long-term infrastructure. This is proven technology, and we’re building it to last. We have visited many operational bioenergy sites overseas, including those designed and built by Weltec. They have a reputation for designing efficient, high-quality systems that deliver consistently. Kalfresh sent a group of Queensland farmers to Germany in April to visit Weltec sites and see the AD technology first-hand, Richard Gorman said.

25 years of know-how and experience

Weltec Biopower was established in 2001 and has planned, delivered and constructed more than 450 specialised stainless-steel biogas plants in the US, Japan, Cyprus, the UK and Europe.

Dirk Krumdieck, CEO and Head of Sales at Weltec Biopower says the agreement reflects the extensive preparatory work and technical planning undertaken by Weltec and Kalfresh over recent years.

We are excited to be delivering a flagship bioenergy project in Australia that combines Kalfresh’s agricultural innovation with our proven European biogas engineering experience, Dirk Krumdieck said.

Three-stage project

Representing a new model for Australian agriculture where farming, food production and energy generation operate side by side in a closed-loop system, the project will be delivered in three stages.

The first stage involves the construction of a large digester with a diameter of 31.48 metres and a height of 8.8 metres, along with a digestate storage tank, supported by the newly implemented Weltec  Control system.

At full capacity, the facility could feature 14 digesters, capable of producing enough energy to power up to 31,000 homes, or fuel up to 98 million kilometres of truck and bus travel annually.

Recent international events have made it clear there’s a real and immediate need for national fuel and fertiliser security. The introduction of a home-grown, dispatchable source of renewable natural gas to the energy mix comes at an important time. We can help transition Australia’s emitters towards emissions-free operation. This is a practical, farmer-led solution that works today, and can be repeated in the future in agricultural communities across the country, adding value to what is already produced on farms, said Richard Gorman.

The Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct will co-locate advanced food manufacturing on a 40-hectare (ha) site fronting the Cunningham Highway and approximately one hour from Brisbane.

The Precinct will feature 16 serviced lots, including three occupied by Kalfresh, with access to on-site renewable power and circular waste services.