New Sugar Mill Stack Transforms Skyline

There’s a new landmark on the Burdekin horizon in the form of a 72-metre boiler stack at Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Kalamia Mill.

The new steel structure has replaced two concrete stacks that towered over the factory and dominated the local skyline for more than 50 years.

With the 2025 crushing season starting this week, it means local residents will now see steam rising from a single stack at Kalamia Mill instead of the familiar two.

Senior Project Engineer Fabian Sataro said the $12 million stack replacement project was the biggest capital job for Wilmar’s four Burdekin mills this year.

He said the need to complete the project within a 20-week window also saw some innovative solutions come into play, such as using a demolition robot to remove the old stacks.

“We knew it was a big undertaking to demolish two end-of-life stacks and erect a new one in a single maintenance season,” Mr Sataro said.

“Our Engineering Design team and the principal contractor, EDMS Australia, came up with the idea of using a Brokk demolition robot, as well as some solutions to optimise the new stack design.

“The robot removed the need for personnel to be working at heights, which aligned with our safety requirements. It could also work around the clock, even in wet weather and high winds, so it could get the job done faster and safer than people working from a suspended work platform.”

The new steel stack was fabricated at EDMS’s Townsville workshop and erected in five sections at the Kalamia Mill site. Local subcontractors GPB Construction and Lancini Consulting Engineers completed the civil work for the new stack.

Wilmar’s General Manager Engineering, Istvan Torok, said the project reflected the company’s commitment to safety, innovation and regional investment.

“This is a great example of what can be achieved through smart planning, strong partnerships, and a focus on safety and performance,” he said.

“Fabian has been working on this project for six years, supported by a large number of people from the Engineering team and other parts of the Sugar and Renewables business.

“We had initially planned to execute this project over two maintenance seasons, but we challenged that and came up with a much tighter execution plan which delivered significant cost savings, greater efficiencies and key safety benefits.”

Mr Torok said he was extremely proud of what his team had achieved in partnership with EDMS Australia.

“This sort of innovative thinking and engineering excellence is critical to our ongoing success as a leading Australian producer of sugar and renewables,” he said.

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Key players on the Kalamia Mill stack replacement witness the final section being lifted into place. Pictured, from left, are Kalamia Mill Work Coordinator Michael Gianni, Kalamia Mill Operations Coordinator Raymond Goggi, EDMS Site Coordinator Jeff Drayton, Kalamia Mill Engineering Superintendent Vito Giarrusso, EDMS Construction Project Manager Jamie Hervey and Wilmar Sugar and Renewables Senior Project Engineer Fabian Sataro. Photos supplied

Wilmar Sugar and Renewables Senior Project Engineer Fabian Sataro

Demolition of the first concrete stack began in late December 2024

The last of five sections was lifted into place on the new steel stack last month (May 2025)

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