Attendees at the 2025 Renewables in Agriculture Conference in Bendigo heard the story of Kia Ora Piggery’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives during a site tour showcasing innovative bioenergy solutions in action.
Energy innovation in action
Located near Yarrawalla in northern Victoria, the family-run Kia Ora Piggery operates a farrow-to-finish system housing around 24,000 pigs (2,000 sows) across multiple sites. The piggery has embraced energy efficiency, solar energy, and bioenergy to reduce farm costs and greenhouse gas emissions, tracking carbon emissions per kilogram of pork sold.
The farm began with three 100 kW solar PV systems across its sites and also uses human food by-products as pig feed, recycling most packaging.
From high costs to renewable solutions
Faced with soaring energy costs exceeding $400,000 annually, Kia Ora invested in electrification and built a custom biogas cogeneration system that converts pig manure into heat and power.
Through covered anaerobic ponds (CAPs), the piggery captures methane biogas from effluent, which is scrubbed and piped to groups of four modified Ford Falcon engines retrofitted as gas-powered generators. These engines drive alternators that supply on-site electricity, while exhaust heat is captured for hydronic shed heating, reducing costs and ensuring a consistent supply of heat, supported by electric hot water heaters.
Environmental and financial benefits
This innovative system has achieved an estimated 81% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions — dropping from 16,598 tonnes to about 3,121 tonnes per year — while saving more than $100,000 annually in power costs.
Supplementing this project, the piggery also pursued a Carbon Farming Initiative methane capture project, earning Australian Carbon Credit Units (ACCUs) for each tonne of methane combusted in covered lagoons between 2014 and 2021.
Expanding energy generation
Kia Ora is now installing a 160 kW/155 kW thermal cogeneration module to provide power and heat to one of its other sites. This expansion builds on their existing systems and demonstrates practical opportunities for wider adoption of bioenergy across the pork industry.
Leadership in agricultural sustainability
Kia Ora Piggery is an energy pioneer — turning agricultural waste into a valuable resource, reducing carbon footprints, cutting energy costs, and setting an example of what’s possible when innovation meets on-farm sustainability.
Find out more
Read more Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy case studies at the Ag Energy Hub: https://www.qff.org.au/agenergyhub
For more tailored support, QFF’s Energy Information Service for Landholders can help you navigate renewable energy projects — from exploring options and negotiating with developers to planning for long-term outcomes such as decommissioning. This is a free service run by QFF’s energy team.
The Energy Information Service for Landholders is available: Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Call 07 3329 7500.