Mackay Sugar Crush Update: Strong Performance Across Mills
Mackay Sugar has passed the halfway point this season, with total cane crushed reaching 2.6 million tonnes - putting the company 400,000 tonnes ahead of the same period last year.
Mill Performance
Farleigh Mill has crushed 730,000 tonnes of cane at a rate of 431 tonnes per hour. The mill has produced 88,000 tonnes of sugar and 23,000 tonnes of molasses.
Marian Mill has recorded strong results, crushing 1,040,000 tonnes at 667 tonnes per hour, producing 127,000 tonnes of sugar and 35,000 tonnes of molasses.
Racecourse Mill has also shown improvement, crushing 846,000 tonnes at a rate of 477 tonnes per hour. Output includes 106,000 tonnes of sugar and 31,000 tonnes of molasses.
Operational Highlights
Despite early delays linked to the evaporator and vacuum pan projects, Racecourse Mill has since exceeded crush rate expectations. This has helped identify bottlenecks in both factory operations and cane supply. The new falling film evaporator and #4 pan are already delivering results in their first season, boosting evaporator capacity and liquor processing rates.
Farleigh Mill performance has been hampered by a failed mud filter drive, though dry weather has reduced the potential impact. A replacement drive is scheduled to arrive by mid-October, ahead of the storm season. In addition, a new belt filter is being installed, with commissioning expected in the final weeks of crushing.
Across the business, one of the less visible challenges has been with juice heaters, which have restricted rates, affected sugar quality, and caused occasional downtime. To address this, a new $4 million juice heater station has been approved, with contracts awarded for installation during the upcoming maintenance season.
Meanwhile, Cogen has ramped up strongly, moving from a starting position of very low bagasse stock to producing nearly 4,500 MWh per week - a significant achievement that strengthens Mackay Sugar’s energy output.
With continued investment in new equipment and infrastructure, Mackay Sugar is on track for a strong finish to the season. The combination of favourable weather, plant upgrades, and dedicated efforts across all mills is helping to ensure efficiency, reliability, and improved production outcomes.