Frew Foods: 10,183 VEECs from a biomass boiler upgrade chops energy costs
- Case Studies
- May 13, 2025
- Northmore Gordon
“Frew Foods worked closely with Northmore Gordon on the biomass boiler project to measure and verify carbon savings. We successfully created 10,183 VEEC’s in Sep ‘21… Northmore Gordon showed they understood what we were trying to achieve… the project was delivered through COVID-19 which for our business was a challenge. The work done by Northmore Gordon to support my abattoir was professional and Alan was a pleasure to work with over the project. Thank You Sincerely.”
– Robert Frew, Owner & Managing Director at Frew Foods International Pty Ltd
The Client
Frew Foods International is a large wholesaler of quality lamb and sheep meat products to the major supermarkets and butchers across Australia.As a halal and tier 2 accredited processor, Frew Foods exports to over 100 countries across all major continents including Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Their modernised abattoir in Stawell, Victoria employs over 500 people and has the capacity to process over 6000 lambs and sheep a day.
Key Facts
- Equipment Upgraded – Installation of 3MW biomass boiler and 90,000 litre heat storage tank
- Annual Energy SavingsElectricity or gas savings or both. – 21,160 GJA gigajoule (GJ) is the equivalent to 1 billion joules. A joule is a measure of the energy required to send an electrical current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second. One GJ is equal to 277.8 kilowatt hours ( kWh), 1.055 million British thermal units (Btu) or 0.17 barrels of oil. Gas
- Certificate Value – $800,000
- Program – Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEUVictorian Energy Upgrades is a Victorian government energy efficiency program that gives every Victorian household and business the opportunity to receive rebates or discounts on energy saving products.)
- Method – Project Based Activities (PBAProject Based Activities)
The Project
The site’s Energy Conservation Measure (ECMEnergy conservation measure) upgraded its boiler system to replace the natural gas fired boilers from the existing boiler room with a biomass boiler in the biomass shed. The biomass boiler is fueled with locally sourced sawdust. The replacement included the installation of a 3 MW thermal biomass boiler with associated pipework, fittings and additional gantry, connection to the existing hot water circuit, and isolation of the existing natural gas boilers.
Challenges
- M&V modelling challenges imposed by COVID restrictions
- Logistic issues with product fuel delivery due to COVID
- Drastic gas price variations
Outcomes
- More hot water capability with lower carbon emissions
- Less affected by natural gas price variations
Our Role
Northmore Gordon provided an end to end service to ensure the project complied with the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program to maximise the financial incentives. Northmore Gordon’s Certified Measurement & Verification Professionals (CMVPs) created the M&V plan, collected site data and supporting evidence, built the baseline and operating energy models to calculate the energy savings. Subsequently we wrote the M&V report, and then created and traded VEECs on the clients behalf.
For more information contact: c.morgan@northmoregordon.com
Based in Stawell, Victoria, Frew Foods is a leading Australian meat processor and exporter specialising in lamb, mutton, and goat products.Industry
Wholesaler
Location
Victoria, Australia
Hamish McGovern
Group Managing Director
Contact Hamish ›You may also like:
Case StudiesTurning a Regional Utility into an Active Energy Market Participant
Case StudiesVisy Gibson Island: 34,000 t CO2‑e Cut a Year With Waste‑to‑Energy
Case StudiesMainStream Aquaculture: $19K Grant funds a heat pump electrification project
Case StudiesKalafatis Fresh Produce: $283K in Solar Certificates
Case StudiesPoultry Client Set to Hit 2030 & 2050 Carbon Emissions Targets
Case StudiesGreenham: Moving Towards Decarbonisation
Get in touch
Australia
1300 854 561 (Advisory)
1300 878 500 (Certificates)
Melbourne
Suite 1, Level 4
607 Bourke Street
Melbourne
VIC 3000
Singapore
Singapore
1 Keong Saik Road,
Singapore 089109
Stay up to date
mailto:%20info@northmoregordon.com https://twitter.com/northmoregordon https://www.linkedin.com/company/northmore-gordon-pty-ltd https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGc6mABpL2XxVUCrVjYQ1gAlternatively, complete the form and we will be in
touch with you.
Services
- Energy Audit Services
- M&V Services
- EEO Assessments
- Corporate Energy and Carbon Management
- Grants and Program
- Strategic Energy Sourcing
- Virtual Energy Manager
- Climate Active Certification
Sectors
- Animal Processing
- Chemical Processing
- Commercial Buildings
- Food & Beverage
- Manufacturing
- Mining
- Oil & Gas
- Pharmaceutical & Health Products
- Public Sector
- Waste & Wastewater
- Wood, Paper & Cardboard Processing
Upgrades
- Boiler Upgrades
- Commercial Lighting
- Hot Water Systems
- Mid Scale Solar
- NABERS
- Public Lighting
- Refrigerated Display Cabinets
- Solar PV Small Scale
- UPS
Certificates
- Live Certificate Prices
- International Renewable Energy Certificates
- Tradable Instrument for Global Renewables
- Australian Carbon Credit Units
- Energy Savings Certificates
- Large-scale Generation Certificates
- Small-scale Technology Certificates
- Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates
Government Schemes
Helpful Links
Who is Frew Foods and where are they based?
Frew Foods International is a large wholesaler of quality lamb and sheep meat products to major supermarkets and butchers across Australia. As a halal and tier 2 accredited processor, Frew Foods exports to over 100 countries across all major continents including Europe, North America, South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Their modernised abattoir is located in Stawell, Victoria, employs over 500 people, and has the capacity to process over 6,000 lambs and sheep a day.
What energy efficiency project did Frew Foods undertake with Northmore Gordon?
Frew Foods replaced its existing natural gas fired boilers with a 3MW thermal biomass boiler, fueled by locally sourced sawdust, along with a 90,000 litre heat storage tank. The upgrade included associated pipework, fittings, an additional gantry, connection to the existing hot water circuit, and isolation of the existing natural gas boilers.
How many VEECs were created from the Frew Foods biomass boiler project, and what was their value?
The project created 10,183 Victorian Energy Efficiency Certificates (VEECs) in September 2021, with a certificate value of $800,000.
What were the annual energy savings achieved by the Frew Foods biomass boiler upgrade?
The project achieved annual energy savings of 21,160 gigajoules (GJ) of gas.
Under which government program and method was the Frew Foods project delivered?
The project was delivered under the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program using the Project Based Activities (PBA) method.
What challenges did the Frew Foods biomass boiler project face?
The project faced M&V modelling challenges imposed by COVID-19 restrictions, logistic issues with product fuel delivery due to COVID-19, and drastic gas price variations.
What outcomes resulted from the Frew Foods boiler upgrade?
The upgrade delivered more hot water capability with lower carbon emissions and made the business less affected by natural gas price variations.
What role did Northmore Gordon play in the Frew Foods project?
Northmore Gordon provided an end-to-end service to ensure the project complied with the Victorian Energy Upgrade Program to maximise financial incentives. Their Certified Measurement & Verification Professionals (CMVPs) created the M&V plan, collected site data and supporting evidence, built baseline and operating energy models to calculate energy savings, wrote the M&V report, and then created and traded VEECs on the client's behalf.
What did Robert Frew say about working with Northmore Gordon on this project?
Robert Frew, Owner & Managing Director at Frew Foods International Pty Ltd, said: "Frew Foods worked closely with Northmore Gordon on the biomass boiler project to measure and verify carbon savings. We successfully created 10,183 VEEC's in Sep '21… Northmore Gordon showed they understood what we were trying to achieve… the project was delivered through COVID-19 which for our business was a challenge. The work done by Northmore Gordon to support my abattoir was professional and Alan was a pleasure to work with over the project. Thank You Sincerely."
Who can be contacted for more information about the Frew Foods case study?
For more information, contact c.morgan@northmoregordon.com.
Images on This Page
-
https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=3718913&fmt=gif
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ng-logo.svg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Frewfood-1024x915.png
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/slider-0H3A0429-1024x184.webp
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Northmore_Gordon_Hamish_McGovern-300x300.jpg
Hamish McGovern
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/GWMWaterbanner.jpg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Visy-Award.jpg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/MainStream-Case-Study-1.jpg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/kalafatis-website-banner.jpg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Poultry-banner.jpg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Greenham-banner.jpg
(no alt text)
-
https://northmoregordon.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/ng-logo.png
(no alt text)