Colby Phillips Advisory (formerly Colby Industries) was invited by a major Australian bioenergy equipment supplier to join its team undertaking a feasibility study commissioned by a local council of Dry Anerobic Digestion (AD) for biosolids at a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) on the Northern NSW Coast.

The role played during the project was multi-faceted, delivering a combination of technical and commercial advice and support.  It included: market analysis of the local organics recycling; facilitating a project risk workshop with council and project team; process design and project cost advice and review; carbon emission assessment; engaging with CEFC and ARENA to identify potential funding opportunities; and purpose-developing a spreadsheet model to analyse the financial/investment performance (e.g. NPV, IRR, ROI) of the project under different project/investment scenarios.

The results of our work identified and shaped a viable business case that the Australian bioenergy equipment supplier could present to council so could make an informed decision on whether to proceed with the project.

If the project were to go ahead, it would be “an Australian first commercial application of Dry AD for processing and stabilising STP Biosolids”, Dr Chris Colby (Director and Principal Consultant) noted.