ECT's pivot: Lignite based fertiliser and the end of ColDry

I've been critical of the way ECT has been run for the past years as all it seemed to amount to was a myriad of granidose 'green schemes' marketed using portmanteau like words (HydroMor, ColDry etc) that went nowhere. 'ColDry' especally as this has been made out to be some revolutionary secret when it is little more than the extrusion of compressed lignite, a process already known for over 100 years as a way to increase the calorific density of lignite feedstock as a fuel by simply reducing its volume.

So is the latest pivot of ECT then to lignite based fertiliser just another of these marketing swings in an attempt to keep the company going? Particulary then when a check reveals there is already a company named FerBon (Fertiliser Carbon) supplying this product that is located in the same industrial complex at Bacchus Marsh where ECT is located.

Research into 'lignite based fertiliser' does reveal some surprising result; the extent of the research being done into it. Also the size and scale of companies overseas who have pivoted to using lignite as feedstock for fertiliser production as the demand for it as a thermal fuel falls away.

It would appear there is a large demand for this fertiliser overseas already which may then indicate the potential size of a market for it in Australia.

If ECT can put aside all the failed legacy schemes that went nowhere and concentrate on this one direction for now can it actually get somewhere for once? It may give long suffering shareholders finally a chance of not losing their money or scratching their heads when decisions are made to expend dwindling funds on things like the derelict ex country club/office at Yallhorn or the Panasonic Hydrogen Fuels cells that were bought but never used.

One thing though that may come of this is the end of ECT trying to rely on the failed marketing ploy of 'ColDry'.

Lignite based fetiliser is produced to various states of 'granulation'. Compressing then extruding lignite as a feedstock via ColDry only to crush it again to produce a granulate fertiliser product does then sound like ColDry has become a totally redundant process in this. And FerBon isn't using ColDry to produce their linite based fertiliser already.....

I'll be following St Rizzo and the latest decisions from ECT to see where the ship heads, a straight course or all over the place again. If a straight course, ECT may finally be onto something worthwhile.

So in all this DYOR etc etc.