Ballance invests to clean up the environment

13 October 2010

Ballance invests to clean up the environment

Ballance Agri-Nutrients is manufacturing a new urea-based product at its Taranaki ammonia-urea plant that will help the new truck fleet in New Zealand run cleaner and greener.

The farmer-owned co-operative's new product GoClear is an exhaust system additive and scrubbing agent that reduces pollutant nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel engines, breaking the NOx down into harmless components of water vapour and nitrogen gas.

'It's a great tie in with new technology that utilises urea from our production process at Kapuni,' says Larry Bilodeau, Ballance's Chief Executive.

'Ballance has invested $1.5 million of capital on this new Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) solution, including half a million dollars on specialist analytical equipment, so we can produce the product to the international standard specifications demanded by modern diesel truck manufacturers around the world.

'With complex technical modifications to our plant we can now take aqueous urea solution upstream from the granulator and process this to create a precise solution of a high-purity aqueous urea. Ballance is producing GoClear for the two main distributors in New Zealand, Yara and Orica.

The product is essential for new trucks running SCR technology to manage emissions control. Most European manufacturers, including Volvo, Mercedes, Scania, DAF and Iveco use SCR, as does Mack in the US. The SCR technology is used at about 4 percent the rate of diesel.

'This is a very difficult product to make and it is a big step forward to be able to manufacture this indispensible product in New Zealand. We are very excited by its potential as the heavy truck fleet moves into SCR technology,' adds Mr Bilodeau.

The ability to produce SCR solution locally also reduces the environmental footprint of the product, given that all supplies at present have to be imported along a lengthy supply chain.

'This will shorten the supply chain on this product significantly, replacing the imported product, and create an exciting new income stream for the company,' said Mr Bilodeau. 'With Ballance providing a locally produced substitute for an imported product, we are also strengthening the security of supply in a rapidly growing international market.'

Mr Bilodeau says the environmental contribution will become more marked as the new truck fleet grows year on year. For example, Fonterra has recently taken delivery of scores of new Volvo trucks fitted with SCR technology and intends to buy more.

'Ballance is serious about supporting environmentally sustainable practices, and we are extremely pleased to have found another product we are able to manufacture and sell that supports the reduction of emissions,' says Mr Bilodeau.

ENDS

© Scoop Media