EnergyLink Services was engaged by the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) to develop an industry-wide Electrification Fact Sheet to support food and grocery manufacturers in navigating the transition from fossil fuels to electric technologies.

The food and grocery manufacturing sector represents 32% of Australia's total manufacturing output, with energy demand projected to exceed 220 PJ annually by FY30, of which natural gas accounts for approximately 40%. Many core processes, including steam generation, drying, pasteurisation, and process heating, remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, creating both risk exposure and opportunity for strategic electrification.

The fact sheet was developed to address the key drivers and barriers to electrification, provide practical guidance on building a robust electrification business case, and outline proven electric technologies suited to food and grocery manufacturing processes. EnergyLink Services drew on its engineering expertise and real-world deployment experience to ensure all content reflected technologies that are technically and commercially viable today.

The resource covers the full electrification landscape for the sector, including: energy market trends and the impact of rising and volatile gas prices; quantified savings modelling for heat pump, MVR, electrode boiler, eTES, and infrared/radiant heating technologies; a step-by-step business case development guide; an overview of financial tools including certificate schemes (VEECs, ESCs, REPS, ACCUs), green finance, and Energy-as-a-Service models; subsector-specific thermal requirements and electrification opportunities across bread and cereals, meat and seafood, dairy, fruit and vegetables, food products, non-alcoholic beverages, and non-durable household products; a decision-making matrix to guide technology selection based on process heat requirements; an electrification order framework applying the mitigation hierarchy (Avoid, Reduce, Electrify); and a detailed electrification design checklist to support feasibility readiness.

The fact sheet also incorporates Australian and international success stories demonstrating proven outcomes, including heat pump installations in meat processing and dairy, MVR deployments in vegetable processing and sugar refining, and electrode boiler projects in large-scale dairy manufacturing.

The factsheet is freely available for download via the AFGC website. Link here: 

20260127-AFGC-Electrification-Fact-Sheet-vF.1.pdf