Ridley Corporation Limited (Ridley) is expecting their new extrusion plant in Westbury, Tasmania to be commissioned ahead of schedule in the first half of 2019.

Construction began in early 2018 and progress has been efficient, with the plant structure going up, silos erected, and all state of the art milling equipment now on site ready for installation.

“We are very proud to be able to provide the latest feed manufacturing technology for our customers with this latest Ridley development," commented Tim Hart, Ridley Managing Director and CEO. "We are constantly looking at ways to deliver improvements for our customers, including adoption of the latest technology, and investment in the latest research with leading Universities and organizations, such as our continued investigation into how nutrition can improve salmon health in warmer waters to improve fish performance.”

The extrusion plant is strategically located to receive ingredients from local and mainland suppliers and will facilitate a consistent and efficient feed supply chain for the long term support and growth of the aquaculture industries.

Ridley received $2 million in grant funding from the Tasmanian Government to support the project, with construction of the facility requiring approximately 250 contractors, including engineering consultants, civil, structural and electrical services.

The project will also create approximately 20 full time permanent positions.