By Raquel Mustillo
FARMERS, government representatives and industry leaders converged at Tantanoola’s Roundwood Solutions to view to a world-first timber post treatment facility which converts residue into biochar.
More than 40 people attended the company’s biochar and timber post plant tour to hear the new treatment option for posts which solves common disposal issues and brings a slew of environmental benefits.
Roundwood Solutions managing director Steve Telford said the company’s creosote-based wood preservative – Tanapost – was a carbon-neutral fencing product which is both environmentally friendly and approved by the Environmental Protection Authority.
Mr Telford said Tanapost was the only timber fencing product that has been treated all the way through the entire product, ensuring more durable product with a longer life and increased safety benefits for users.
The product, which was a finalist in the Premier’s Climate Change Council 2020 SA Climate Change Leaders Awards, aims to replace the current toxic treated timber products with no end of life answer.
“We take a sustainable log which is soaking up carbon, we use a carbon-based wood preservative, we send it out to the market and at its end of life, we say to the market we will take it back rather than the consumer trying to put it in landfill or finding some other costly method of disposing of it,” Mr Telford said.
“It is the complete circular economy at work, with the end result being part of a bigger picture.
“No other company is currently doing what we are doing and we are here as an example to all other companies in the industry to look at our business model and how to implement it in their own business.”
Mr Telford said the posts could be repurposed at the facility’s on-site boiler, extracting the heat and energy to produce biochar.
He said added to soil, biochar holds and slowly releases water and fertiliser which can be used to make soil more productive.
“Biochar, at the very least, is carbon soap for the next 1000 years and has a number of benefits particularly in agriculture, where it saves water and fertiliser in pasture,” Mr Telford said.
“This gives farmers better bang for their buck per acre, whether it is what they grow or how many head they stock per acre.”
Mr Telford said in addition to reducing emissions, the move to a carbon-neutral operation would also result in economic benefits.
“Carbon is the new language in politics and economics and carbon is emerging as a form of currency,” he said.
“We will get carbon credits because of our model and the fact we make biochar.
“This business is one of those places people could invest in to offset their own carbon emissions because we are carbon neutral.”
Wattle Range Mayor Des Noll praised the company and said it demonstrated the council region was “open for business to all industries and businesses”.
“This is a great example of a company taking responsibility for its product and being part of the environmental solution,” he said.
“Wattle Range Council is a great supporter of businesses like Roundwood Solutions which is at the forefront of carbon-neutral industry.”
