The new boiler is the second part of a $20 million investment in the plant in recent months after the recent opening of its new effluent treatment plant.
PPCS group communications manager Brent Melville said the new boiler, in the final stages of construction, will be working from May 23.
The new boiler, which stands 18m high plus a 40m stack, will use the effluent plant's byproduct and waste to generate steam, rather than simply relying on coal as the main fuel.
The main part of the boiler was made in Thailand, while the rest of the components were made locally.
At its peak, up to 40 contracting staff have been working on the structure, which stands just metres away from the old boiler, which will be used as the back-up to the new model.
‘‘Having the boiler also reduces the size of land required for composting and it will also reduce odours as a result of this.
‘‘Furthermore, it reduces the requirement for coal as a fuel to generate steam, with commensurate reduction in SO 2 (sulphur dioxide) and greenhouse gases,'' Mr Melville said.
The boiler will be able to burn about 80% of the daily output of 12,000cu m of effluent solids generated at the meatworks.
Testing will start later this month before it becomes fully operational on May 23.
Finegand manager Graeme Stanbury said the recent $20 million investment was a good sign for the plant and its long-term future in the district.
The Finegand plant is PPCS largest processing facility, handling about 55,000 cattle and 1.7 million sheep and lambs each year.
It is also Clutha's biggest employer, with more than 1000 staff at the peak of the killing season.
