$10m plant lifts capacity for processing waste

Judds’ new $10m facility at Matawhero. It is processing woody debris from Cyclone Gabrielle and sewage sludge from the city’s wastewater process, but it has the capacity to process a variety of waste materials include animal and food. Picture supplied

A new $10 million state-of-the-art facility is helping chop up cyclone woody debris here and keeping sewage sludge out of landfills.

Judds Composting’s new static aeration facility allows its existing composting operation to expand by taking increased volumes of existing feedstocks (raw material) as well as new feedstocks from in and near Gisborne, several of which would otherwise be landfilled.

Construction was completed at the end of July and the first batch went into the facility at the end of August, making Judds the first company in New Zealand able to turn biosolids like treated sewage sludge into compost.

Judds general manager Blair Judd said the facility centred on four 24m-long in-vessel composting tunnels based on a static aerated pile.

“The biosolids are deposited in the tunnels and sealed then processed via a computerised system. Leachate is controlled and reused in the compost mixing process to add moisture. Odour is likewise controlled and put through a biofilter to clean it. The resulting compost can then be utilised in a variety of ways.”

Biosolids are a by-product of the wastewater treatment process that results in sewage sludge.

The facility can process a variety of waste materials including animal and food. At present it is chipping logs and wood slash that ended up on the beaches after Cyclone Gabrielle, to become part of a compost blend.

Mr Judd designed and project-managed the facility and it was built by sister company Siteworx Civil.

Mr Judd said the facility, based on similar designs in the United States, had already resulted in faster processing times, as well as 24/7 live monitoring and compliance, reduced odours and the ability to compost more products.

The company intended to employ an additional two to three staff members to staff the facility, which will be capable of processing 60,000 tonnes of material a year, he said.

The project came about when Gisborne District Council was seeking a composting solution for the biosolids from its new wastewater treatment plant. The facility was part-funded by a $4m loan from Kanoa, the regional economic development and investment unit within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, with Judds funding the remainder.

It also means Gisborne residents could enjoy a three-wheelie-bin system — food and green waste, rubbish and recycling.

Gisborne District Council solid waste manager Phil Nickerson said the aeration facility at Judds was an “exciting opportunity and asset” for the region.

“Judds is a private commercial activity and is not part of council’s Waste Management and Minimisation Plan (WMMP). However, it certainly aligns with some objectives of council’s WMMP, one of which is to continually reduce the total quantity of waste we send to landfill.

“The facility at Judds is a potential in-region option to take organic matter and green waste once council’s proposed wheelie bin system is in place.

“Right now we’re working at pace through the costings for implementing wheelie bins across our kerbside collection services and hope city residents will see the benefits of separated waste streams in around two years.”