Feed Diversion Trial approved for Summer

A key part of our odour reduction strategy, Feed Diversion has been approved by the Department of Water, Environment and Regulation WA to be run and tested over the Summer.

Our Feed Diversion Trial is an essential part of our commitment to addressing odour in the community.

What is the odour?

There are many sources of odour within the local community near Munster.

An independent investigation identified that an odour may be generated in the stacks at our Munster facility caused by heating shellsand between 400°C and 600°C as part of the lime manufacturing process.

What is Feed Diversion and why do we think it will help?

Feed diversion is a targeted process designed to reduce odour at its source. During lime production, the raw material (shellsand) is diverted into another section of the tower and exposed to higher temperatures, which destroys odour before it is released via the process.

We are confident that the trials will be able to show you and the regulator its effectiveness of reducing odour at its source. However, feed diversion is just one part of our odour reduction strategy and we will use the data from these trials to assess it against alternate solutions.

When will the Feed Diversion Run?

Over the summer months, we will conduct a series of test scenarios to evaluate how effective this process is under different operating conditions. The results will be thoroughly analysed, and a full report of its effectiveness will be prepared for submission to the regulator in June 2025. 

This report will compare the feed diversion results with alternative odour reduction technologies we are also assessing, including thermal oxidation, scrubbers, carbon-based filtration, and dispersion techniques. This report will be available on our community website.

Your feedback is important

Your feedback during the trial period will play an essential role in evaluating its effectiveness by enabling us to cross-reference community feedback with technical data from the trial.

Nearing the end of the feed diversion trials, we will host a community forum to share preliminary results and gather your input on how we move forward.

How you can get in touch

If you have questions or would like to learn more, we encourage you to contact us directly by email at community@cockburncement.com.au or by phone at 1800 767 765. You can also visit cockburncementcommunity.com.au to sign up for our newsletter and stay updated on the Feed Diversion Trial and other initiatives.

We are committed to becoming a better neighbour and finding the best solution for our community.