Major vegetable grower Kalfresh is leading a project which will transform agricultural waste into energy sources and sustainable fertilisers
$80 million has been invested in Queensland’s Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct, backing local biofuel innovation at the bioenergy and food hub in Kalbar, southwest of Brisbane.
Led by major vegetable grower Kalfresh, the project is set to transform agricultural waste into energy sources and sustainable fertilisers.
The precinct will include a biogas anaerobic digestion facility, which will convert agricultural and food waste into enough energy to power up to 31,000 homes or fuel up to 98 million kilometres of transport a year, the state government says, while also producing natural bio-fertilisers to reduce reliance on imported synthetic alternatives and support local agriculture.
Kalfresh co-owner and CEO Richard Gorman says agriculture’s role is expanding and the project puts farmers at the heart of solving critical energy challenges, to build a stronger Queensland agricultural industry.
“Our food and bioenergy model will bring lasting benefits to the region through new investment in high-value manufacturing, value-adding waste into baseload energy and biofuels, and by creating valuable bio-fertiliser for the next crop,” he says.
Construction on the Scenic Rim Agricultural Industrial Precinct has already commenced, with the first flow of energy scheduled for mid-2027.
The project is expected to deliver over 1,000 jobs, including 641 during construction and 475 ongoing operational roles.
