Boral Bricks’ Kempsey plant lightens the load in energy and water
Honeycombe - new soft brick colour
Located on the same site in South Street since 1976, Boral Bricks’ Kempsey Plant has been manufacturing natural clay bricks under the Boral name for more than 25 years.
Now, Boral can reveal that its Kempsey plant manufacturing process is leading the way for an Australian brickworks in terms of water and energy consumption, with no use of town drinking water supply and minimal use of non-renewable energy.
This means that the bricks made at the plant are low in non-renewable embodied energy or energy used in a product’s manufacture, in the country.
Darryl Marshall, Boral Bricks’ Kempsey Plant manager, said that sawdust, the waste by-product from Boral’s nearby Herron Creek Timber Mill, has replaced heavy fuel oil as the energy source to fire the bricks.
“It is a unique situation, which helps put Kempsey on the map regarding the preservation of non-renewable resources. We are drawing locally on a waste product from sustainably managed plantation and regrowth timber – a renewable source – for the major part of manufacturing,” Darryl Marshall says.
“On the eco-sensitive North Coast, home owners are more aware that for a building product to be "green" it is about where materials are sourced, the environmental impact of their manufacture and local supply to minimise transport.
“Our total manufacturing needs are also met with recycled water that is collected from storm- water run off and tannin collection from the sawdust stockpiles,” Darryl Marshall added.
Boral’s Kempsey brickworks make many of the popular Woodstock range, with warm handcrafted textures that are timeless. Each brick is formed from select local clays and kiln-fired for strength and colour that never fades.
Four new soft colours have been released from the plant: dusk, cascade, honeycombe and country rose. Blends of these colours are also available.
According to Darryl Marshall, all bricks made in Kempsey are also exposure grade, which makes them suitable for coastal areas or harsh soils.
You can find them at Boral Brick outlets in Coffs Harbour, Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Taree and Forster, where builders and home owners alike can be assured of local supply from a hard-working team.
15-Apr-2008