FOCUS Enviro – the waste and organic equipment specialist – has secured an exclusive agreement with UNTHA, making it the distribution partner for UNTHA’s shredding technology, in Australia. Headquartered in New South Wales – plus with a presence in Victoria, Queensland and the West – FOCUS has amassed a cross-country reputation for bringing world-class machinery to its national client base.

Now UNTHA’s world-renowned static and mobile XR shredders for PEF (process engineered fuel) production, have been added to the portfolio. This agreement to integrate UNTHA into its suite of solutions has been 10 years in the making and reflects the growing appetite for Australian operators to turn ‘waste’ into a resource. “UNTHA’s waste shredding technology has been on our radar for the last decade,” commented Robbie McKernan, director of FOCUS Enviro. “We’ve been intently watching the number of RDF and SRF plants that have come online in the UK, and places like Austria, Germany and Denmark, and 10 years of industry analysis means we’re now armed with best-practice advice to pass on to clients in Australia. “We’ve seen what has and hasn’t worked, how the market has changed, and how alternative (process engineered) fuel production lines can be optimised for maximum product quality, bottom line impact and environmental gain. But as the Australian PEF market is now gaining traction, we need best-in-class technology as robust as our knowledge. We wanted to integrate UNTHA into our offering, but to represent them on an exclusive basis here, is a real honour.”

With UNTHA’s XR shredder able to process an array of input materials to meet defined fuel specifications for cement plants through to biomass burners, Robbie hopes UNTHA’s introduction into the market will actually help drive quality. “We’ve always had the capacity to produce process engineered fuel as it is known here,” added Robbie. “The challenge has been driving acceptance and securing outlets for the resource. Some Australian waste management companies are producing and exporting fuels, but the specifications remain extremely varied. As the market matures – and more small-medium businesses enter with their eyes on best-practice – I would hope UNTHA can help drive standardisation when it comes to fraction sizing, product quality and calorific value.”

UNTHA’s director for global business development, Gary Moore, believes Australia has one of the most exciting Energy from Waste markets in the world at present. “Alternative fuel production is in its infancy here, in comparison to parts of Europe for instance,” he said. “But landfill rates are rising, environmental pressures are mounting, China’s landmark movement has forced a new direction for the country’s waste framework, and a number of international waste operators, with a presence in Australia, are driving a global knowledge transfer programme to strengthen resource security. “We know of Robbie’s work – from supplying individual pieces of equipment to completely integrated waste facilities – and feel that FOCUS Enviro has the right technology and service ethos to represent the UNTHA brand in Australia.

You only have to look at the role they had at the recent Energy from Waste conference in Melbourne to see that they are the partner to talk to in this sector.” Once a familiar name only in Austria and neighbouring countries, UNTHA has grown to have an established presence throughout Europe, Asia and in both North and South America. Over 9,000 shredders are now installed worldwide, and global growth of 25% is predicted in the next 12 months. “Australia’s contribution to the overall company turnover will see significant increase over the next five years,” concluded Gary.