Success spun out of turbine project

Burnie Advocate
Thursday 6/3/2008 Page: 25

INNOVATION is a word that doesn't scare Robert Nichols. In fact Mr Nichols is a man who embraces innovation and it has earnt his business, Nichols Poultry, two awards at the North- West Commerce and Industry Awards, held on Saturday night. Nichols Poultry tied for top place in the Innovation in Business category and was also named winner of Best Agribusiness.

"It was rather a shock," Mr Nichols said. "We are very pleased with ourselves after many years beavering away. "It is the first time we have been associated with the awards and to get two awards was a very satisfying result." He credits his wind farm project, which he has been working on for a number of years, as playing a big part in their win in the innovation category.

Mr Nichols has long believed the answer to conserving energy is in the wind and later this month he will have his own wind farm generating renewable energy on his property. He told The Advocate last July that he expected the turbines to reduce energy costs by 60 per cent. It has taken three years of research and many trips overseas visiting farms who have harnessed wind-generated power. He is sure Nichols Poultry was the most unusual candidate entered in the awards.

"The idea of producing our own renewable energy for business is something rather unique and hopefully others will pick it up as time goes by." The project is now in the final construction phase and Mr Nichols hopes to have the turbines producing energy by the middle of this month. But it is a project that has required plenty of patience.

"It has been an incredibly steep learning curve, but we won some State Government support through a CleanBiz grant last year and that did buoy my confidence in the project," he said. "It helped me to continue with the project, but the whole way through it has been piles of contracts, headaches, difficulties. "The wonderful thing is that everyone I have come across throughout the project has had a positive outlook.

"While there are still a few hurdles to overcome, I can see myself producing renewable energy and we are at the stage where the final pieces are coming together and that is a really satisfying feeling." The future of the agriculture side of the Nichols family farm also has a bright future and the Sassafras/Wesley Vale Irrigation Scheme will boost that further should it be given a green light. "We would certainly be subscribing to the scheme," Mr Nichols said. "It will secure the future of our district.

"With wheat crops looking increasingly viable to grow, it has to be viable for farmers to look at irrigating them, whereas traditionally irrigation was never reserved for things like cereal." With his wind farm project nearing completion, Mr Nichols laughs heartily when asked about his future plans. "I'd love to do another wind farm project and try for one in a different location," he said. "I'm sure we would encounter more hurdles, but it would be a new challenge."