THE AHRKO SYSTEM
The AHRKO System can be used in many applications.
To date AHRKO has focused on drying Victorian Lignite.
Victoria holds 81Bn tonnes or 25% of the world’s known Lignite reserves.
Victorian Lignite is a relatively immature form of Lignite, containing a naturally high proportion of Humic substances from plant material, making it very similar to the organic matter in soil.
The Latrobe Valley holds 65Bn tonnes (80%) of Victorian Lignite reserves.
Whilst Lignite has predominantly been used as a fuel to power steam turbines that generate electricity, it’s use in “Value-Added” applications such as the manufacture of blended and Organic Fertilisers, Hydrogen and Ammonia production and the manufacture of Activated Carbon has been limited because Lignite cannot be dried economically at scale.
Victorian Lignite contains up to 65% moisture content and must be dried to 40% or lower depending on the feed stock application.
Scale drying technologies are typically extremely capital intensive and incur high operating costs primarily driven by the cost of energy to dry the product.
The AHRKO system has solved both challenges unlocking the use of Lignite in these high-value applications.
Latrobe Valley Lignite (LVL) has several unique physical and chemical properties that make it a preferred raw material input to value-added applications.
These properties include low density and high porosity, high surface area and liquid absorptive capacity, low concentration of impurities (ash, sulphur etc), and a high proportion of Organic Matter which, when dried enhances its binding quality to liquid additives.
Victorian lignite presents in thick close-to-surface seams with a low strip ratio, so that extraction costs are low.
The benefits to plant Nitrogen use efficiency, yield, quality, soil health and in the reduction of atmospheric N emissions and groundwater leaching when using Lignite as a Fertiliser substrate are well documented in published international and local University research over the past 15 years.
AHRKO’s own small scale plot trials confirms these findings. Its technology now enables these benefits to be delivered at a lower price per tonne than conventional Synthetic Fertilisers.
Importantly, AHRKO's process offers the prospect of a net negative Scope 3 emissions profile (based on independent analysis). Importantly, for Australian farmers, AHRKO offers the prospect of a scalable way to manufacture Organic Fertilisers using the unique characteristics of a Lignite substrate and contribute to building a Sovereign Fertiliser capability in Australia that can regularise supply and per tonne prices.
AHRKO is in the process of commercialising its technology with Fertiliser manufacturers.
