Proserpine Co-operative Sugar Milling Association Limited has continued the progressive development of the Proserpine Sugar Mill with an aim to process cane at the rate of 750 tonnes per hour at average fibre levels and appropriate efficiency levels. During the 2001 maintenance season, a new 2550 mm No. 5 final mill was installed. A major pre-requisite for the installation was to have an independently driven pressure feeder to achieve the expected bagasse moistures and extractions from a final mill. A number of options were considered. The selected configuration is: main mill drive, a conventional steam turbine drive with low speed gearing; pressure feeder drive, an independent variable speed electric motor, gearbox and one set of low speed gearing driving through a conventional tailbar; underfeed roller drive, an independent variable speed electric motor and shaft mounted gearbox. This paper outlines the decisionmaking process and the configuration of the first independent electrically driven pressure feeder and underfeed roller in the Australian sugar industry and the refining of the control strategy for optimum milling performance.