Clean Energy
Visy's continual investment in clean energy is more than just a means of saving energy and emissions - it's part of our vision for the future. Since 2001, we've invested $150m in clean energy - including $50m in our latest clean energy plant at Coolaroo, Victoria that was launched in November 2011.
The clean energy plant at Coolaroo is our second - the first is located at Tumut, NSW. Both plants operate by turning residual waste from our manufacturing operations into energy, which in turn helps power our paper mills. We also have plans to build several more clean energy plants in coming years.
"I see clean energy as a source of future growth, energy and emissions savings and a whole new business division for Visy"
What is clean energy?
Clean energy is the generation of both electricity and another form of energy - typically heat. At a power station fuelled by coal, a large amount of heat is rejected and its benefits are lost as part of the cycle. In a clean energy plant this waste heat is put to good use - in other words, it's converted to useable thermal energy. Visy's Paper mills have large thermal (heat) and electricity needs and so are ideally suited to cogeneration using cleaner waste based fuels.
Waste to energy
Finding innovative ways to turn waste into something valuable is something Visy does best, and turning waste to energy is no exception. Our waste to energy plants contribute to the electricity and thermal energy requirements of our paper mills, which reduces our dependence on electricity (generated from coal-fired power stations and natural gas). They also divert a large amount of waste from landfill helping to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases produced by landfills.
Visy's clean energy strategy is an important part of managing the impacts of the Carbon Tax, as well as minimising our impacts on the environment.