Ravensdown has built a lime rock storage facility in rural Geraldine that will reduce the site’s total annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60% – equivalent to taking 250 cars off the road.

 

The lime rock shed which has been built at the Geraldine Lime site will store more than 10,000 tonnes of unprocessed rock so that it can be kept dry over winter, without the need for fuel to dry it out, and then processed in optimum conditions over summer.

 

Ravensdown Lime Quarry Manager Roger Buckingham said the new facility will reduce costs by reducing electricity and diesel consumption as well as eliminating the transport and use of approximately 350 tonnes of coal annually.

 

“The solution to build a rock shed was a simple yet effective one that was largely driven by our people on the ground who work at and know the site well. A range of alternative fuels were initially explored for reducing reliance on coal. However, a shed is the lowest cost and risk solution that will mitigate climate change impacts while also improving productivity at the quarry.”

 

Simple in its construction, the purpose of the shed is to keep dry feed rock protected from the elements while also allowing airflow for a natural drying effect, thereby eliminating the need for a coal fired drier.

 

Ravensdown Head of Sustainability Allanah Kidd says, “We acknowledge the relationship between the environment and our products and activities. Our commitment to the environment now forms a guiding principle in our business planning and development. A key goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 in line with 1.5 degrees of warming and this project is a significant step towards that target.

 

“We continually seek to improve the environmental outcomes of our activities and the Geraldine Lime facility is a great example of how smart thinking can lead to an innovative solution and can make a difference to climate change.

 

“These sorts of initiatives have a positive and lasting impact on the environment and the way we do business.”

 

The emissions reduction project has been co-funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority’s technology demonstration fund.