In 1999, Calleja Group acquired the former CSR Hardboard Mill, comprising 78 hectares of zoned industrial land and 354 hectares of farming land adjacent to the MBC site.

The industrial zoned site contains a large manufacturing complex which employed over 450 people at the peak of CSR Hardboard Mills production. The site has been and is continuing to be developed as an industrial complex housing a variety of compatible manufacturing industries.

With the coal mine continuing to produce coal for a range of fertilisers and soil conditioners, the Calleja Group worked for more than two decades to develop two patented technologies, COLDry and MATMOR, to enhance the use of brown coal as a fuel and as a reductant to produce steel.

To assist this complex process, in 2003 Calleja constructed two pilot manufacturing plants at JBD with the objective to develop the technologies for future commercialisation. Once proven, the patents were sold to Environmental Clean Technologies Ltd (ECT), a Melbourne listed company. ECT now operates the pilot plants at JBD.

Managing Director, Don Calleja said “This transaction aligns the interests of the COLDRY and MATMOR stakeholders. We are now shareholders in ECT and are pleased that the new owners of the technologies are in a better position to take both processes to full commercialisation. To a large extent, this transaction fulfils the dream of our brother, the late David Calleja, who worked tirelessly over 10 years on developing the COLDRY and MATMOR technologies.”

JBD Industrial Park

25 Rowsley Station Rd, Maddingley. Bacchus Marsh VIC, 3340
Phone: (03) 5367 0725