Refrigeration systems
GRV Agro Products has been recognised as a pioneer in the conversion from Freon to ammonia in Australia. Ammonia refrigeration systems use up to 30% less energy due to improved heat transfer coefficients and do not rely on greenhouse gases.

Warehouse design and improvement
Our newest warehouses demonstrate the marked improvements in energy consumption that can be achieved through warehouse design. Most notable is the introduction of rapid roller doors, which minimise loss of condition through air exchange.

Energy management systems
Energy efficiency is being maximised through techniques including room cycling, load sharing and load shifting. In addition, conversion to sensor-activated LED lighting has the potential to reduce energy consumption from lighting by up to 75%.

Behavioural change
The actions of staff at all levels play a crucial role in reducing the company’s carbon footprint. All our employees are encouraged to contribute to improving the efficiency of our facilities, and staff EEO workshops identified opportunities for further savings.

Water conservation
We harvest large amounts of rainwater. Water harvesting initiatives save around 30% of consumption at cold stores where tanks are installed.

CASE STUDY: WATER MANAGEMENT AT CANNON HILL

Objective
To optimise water management in the Australian state hardest hit by drought, Queensland.

Solution
The refrigeration process at the GRV Agro Products Cannon Hill facility accounts for the majority of water consumption on site. Water is used to reject heat to atmosphere through evaporative condensing, resulting in high salts dissolved in the evaporative condensers. This normally goes to waste, accounting for 10% of total water usage.

GRV Agro Products adopted reverse osmosis technology, which is usually associated with desalination plants, at its Cannon Hill facility. The reverse osmosis process works by using pressure to force water through a specially designed membrane that allows only water to get through, filtering out any undesirable particles such as solids or salts. The reclaimed water is then re-used in the same refrigeration process.

The result: estimated annual water savings of 5,000,000 litres.

Environmental policy

At GRV Agro Products we are committed to:

• Protecting the environment by the efficient use of energy and resources and being mindful of our role as a caretaker of the environment.
• Ensuring that environmental impact considerations are an integral part of our decision making, management and culture.
• Maintaining and improving upon our current environmental standard as a responsibility to our people and the communities in which we operate, now and into the future.

To meet this commitment we will:

• Ensure that all our activities and services with the potential to cause environmental impact are identified, management plans developed and controls implemented.
• Meet or exceed all applicable environmental regulations, standards and laws.
• Encourage environmental awareness amongst our staff and empower them to be positive and proactive in raising our standards.
• Encourage contractors, suppliers and customers of GAP to accept responsibility for their actions and to comply with their environmental obligations.
• Implement specific measures to prevent pollution and minimize energy and material consumption and reduce waste at source through ‘replace, reduce, recover, reuse and recycle’ initiatives.
• Communicate with all our stakeholders and the public on our environmental policy and performance.