Mars petfood to be powered with solar thermal steam

Food manufacturer Mars Incorporated has announced that its Wodonga, Victoria pet food manufacturing facility will become the first large-scale steam-based manufacturing site in Australia to be powered 100 percent by renewables.

The company will complete by 2026 the $39.3 million Mars Wodonga Solar Thermal Plant, including the installation of an 18-megawatt Parabolic Trough Concentrated Solar Thermal (CST) plant that will provide up to 10 hours of thermal energy storage for cooking petfood.

The project, supported by a $17.2 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), marks the first commercial deployment of parabolic trough CST technology in Australia.

Craig Sargeant, General Manager of Mars Petcare Australia and New Zealand was joined by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a tour of the Wodonga site today.

Sargeant said: “We are incredibly proud to announce that Mars will be the first manufacturing facility of its kind in Australia to deploy a 100 percent renewable energy solution within two years.

“Decarbonising site-based process heat, coupled with Mars Australia’s 100 percent renewable electricity use, is a significant achievement that not only reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainability but also positions our Wodonga facility as a leader in green process heat manufacturing on a national scale.”

Sargeant said that investing in renewable energy technologies like CST was critical to decarbonising industrial processes, particularly in sectors that heavily rely on gas for steam-based manufacturing.

“CST offers a powerful solution by capturing and storing solar energy, in the form of high temperature heat, for use at any time, making it an ideal fit for our steam-based manufacturing needs.”

The project builds on Mars’ implementation of Electric Thermal Energy Storage (eTES) technology, which allows the facility to utilise low-cost, grid-connected renewable electricity during off-peak times to generate and store heat.

The eTEs system, supported by CSIRO, provides a cost-effective, renewable alternative to gas, according to the company.

Meanwhile, Mars recently announced it was working with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to purchase Renewable Gas Guarantee of Origin certificates at Hydrogen Park Murray Valley.

This arrangement will displace over 10 percent of Mars Australia’s total gas consumption, which includes Mars Petcare Wodonga.

Picture: Craig Sargeant