A tour of Australia’s first large-scale energy-from-waste facility aimed to set the record straight on concerns surrounding the technology.
Australia is on the brink of a waste crisis. Without action, New South Wales is predicted to run out of landfill by 2030. It’s a similar scenario in Victoria, where – on current trends – approved landfill will reach capacity in the mid 2030s.
State and Federal governments have poured billions of dollars into projects to increase Australia’s recycling infrastructure and capacity, yet a gap remains when it comes to how to treat residual waste.
Energy-from-waste (EfW), also referred to as energy recovery facilities (ERFs) is proven technology to reduce a reliance on landfills for non-recyclable or non-recoverable waste. Communities globally have embraced the technology to generate energy and reduce the need for fossil fuels.
When properly managed, EfW plants can emit fewer greenhouse gases than traditional landfills, especially when considering the methane emissions that would otherwise be produced.
Yet it is a divisive topic within Australia. Many energy recovery projects have stalled as communities and politicians voice concerns about potential air pollution and health risks.
In 2023, City of Greater Geelong Council wrote to the Victorian planning minister to convey community concerns regarding a planning application for an EFR facility in Lara, in the state’s north-east. A development licence has been granted for the facility, but community opposition continues.
In 2021, the New South Wales Government released its Energy From Waste Infrastructure Plan outlining where ERFs facilities can and cannot proceed, identifying the West Lithgow Precinct, Parkes Special Activation Precinct, Richmond Valley Regional Jobs Precinct and Southern Goulburn-Mulwaree Precinct as priority locations to host these operations.
At the time, then Parkes Shire Mayor Ken Keith welcomed the focus on Parkes, saying identifying priority areas will “give certainty for community and investment”.
However, Lithgow Council continues to battle the decision to include Lithgow as a priority precinct and has made representations to the Deputy Premier, the Minister for Environment and senior bureaucrats.
With Australia’s first large-scale facility – Kwinana Energy Recovery – now accepting non-recyclable waste in Western Australia, the peak state waste and recycling bodies are keen to dispel the myths surrounding the technology.
The Waste and Recycling Industry Association of Western Australia (WRIWA), and Waste Contractors and Recyclers Association (WCRA) New South Wales, hosted an in-depth tour and briefing at Kwinana on energy recovery in January. The event attracted almost every major environmental regulatory agency in Australia, recycling bodies and international waste and recycling commercial providers.
Brett Lemin, Executive Director, WCRA, says the attendance highlighted the importance peak bodies are placing on energy recovery facilities.
“We had so many stakeholders who will influence ministers and their colleagues in the industry around the table,” he says. “It was clear they are trying to move the industry forward, together, but also maintain the intricacies of state-based federations.
“There are myths and rumours that energy-from-waste is a dirty beast that has no place in Australia – it’s quite the opposite. They’re clean, efficient and help recover material that will otherwise be lost to landfill. It’s part of a cleaner, green future.
“This symposium put a lot of things in context. This industry is complex and dynamic. A lot of the time you can’t truly understand how a particular piece of technology or process works until you see it, touch it or smell it – hands on is the best way to do it.”
“The day encompassed a spectrum from the micro to the macro, featuring a range of informative sessions and no question was off the table.”
The event included a technical tour of the 17-storey Kwinana Energy Recovery facility. Owned by Acciona, a global leader in sustainable infrastructure and renewable energy solutions, it is the first of its kind in Australia that integrates recovery and reuse of non-recyclable waste with the generation of electricity.
Following the tour, Alistair Jones, Director General of the Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER), attended the morning tour, and Adrian Wiley, Executive Director Circular Economy (DWER) gave the afternoon’s key note presentation on the state’s energy recovery regulatory framework.
Attendees were given an insight into Tellus Holdings’ geological repository at Sandy Ridge, which will manage the Air Pollution Control residue (APCr) from the East Rockingham EfW plant, and Blue Phoenix Australia’s incinerator bottom ash processing plant.
Andy Dormer, Ramboll’s Lead Commissioning Engineer for EfW in the Asia-Pacific, also gave an overview of the extensive use and social acceptance of energy recovery plants in Europe – many of which are in major cities.
Michael Bobrowicz, WRIWA Executive Officer, says social licence and location of EfW plants are major hurdles facing proposals in Australia. He believes Western Australia has “uniquely solved the problem” and will be a litmus test for future national projects.
“Western Australia made the decision back in 2011 to locate the facilities in Kwinana. It’s a heavy industrial area with a huge buffer around it. It’s only 38 kilometres from Perth, which is within easy reach for waste companies, but acts as a ‘safe harbour’ for residents.
“We have a lot of confidence that this was absolutely the appropriate place to put it. This plant is going to establish whether there is social licence for similar plants right around Australia.
“The Western Australian community has accepted that, which means we not only have an opportunity to establish Australia’s first ever energy recovery facility, but we’re starting to establish social licence about where plants can be located. Inevitably, we’re going to see plants not in such protected environments.”
Michael says the use of language also is important when talking about energy recovery. He says the term energy recovery emphasises the value and resourcefulness of the process and highlights the recovery of energy from waste as a sustainable practice, rather than focusing on the disposal of waste.
Ramboll was the owner engineer for the Kwinana project, acting as the owner’s technical advisor. Andy says the global engineering company takes an active role in educating the waste management industry and its associated stakeholders about energy recovery.
Participating in the industry tour of Western Australia’s energy recovery ecosystem reinforced the immense potential the technology holds in advancing Australia’s decarbonisation and resource recovery goals.
“As the nation’s first large-scale energy recovery facility in Australia, Kwinana Energy Recovery sets a pioneering benchmark and showcases how innovative solutions can address the dual challenges of waste management and energy production,” he says.
Inga Nielsen / shutterstock.com
“One key takeaway visitors often take from a tour is the transformative potential of energy recovery technology for Australia and the importance of a collaborative approach for success. The sheer scale of the facility, the high degree of advanced automation, and the complexity of the technology in operation provide a compelling perspective for both regulators and industry stakeholders underscoring the innovation driving this sector forward.
“The Kwinana facility, which attendees had the opportunity to visit, exemplifies what can be achieved when an ecosystem of committed stakeholders collaborates towards a common goal. The journey ahead requires a concerted effort from the entire industry ecosystem – technical experts, commercial entities, and regulatory bodies –to foster an environment conducive to widespread energy recovery adoption.”
Brett concurred that collaboration is key to moving forward.
“Energy recovery is incredibly important for our members and the state of waste and recycling across this country. We need to embrace this technology,” he says.
“We were very aware that we were hosting the key stakeholders who will be shaping the future of energy recovery in Australia.”
