Masdar and Tribe Infrastructure Group have strengthened their collaboration in the deployment of utility-scale waste-to-energy (WtE) projects by establishing a joint venture in Australia.
The aim of the joint venture company is to develop WtE projects across Australia, as well as to support the delivery and management of these projects.
The announcement was made by Former Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne and UAE Ambassador to Australia Abdullah Al Subousi, alongside Masdar Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi and Tribe CEO Peter McCreanor, during the inauguration of the Australia-United Arab Emirates Business Council.
Pyne explained that Tribe and Masdar are the first companies to ink contacts that actively engage in business activity in Australia as part of the Australia UAE Business Council.
“Australia and the UAE have very strong connections, and the joint venture agreement between Masdar and Tribe for turning waste into energy is only the beginning of the relationship that the two companies will have across Australia,” he said.
“Masdar has been a great champion of the WtE sector. We are honoured to see Masdar and Tribe come together to establish a joint venture company and I hope this can pave the way for future collaboration in additional sectors.”
According to Al Ramahi, Masdar looks forward to leveraging its local and international experience to advance Australia’s WtE sector, following its entry into the market earlier this year.
“The Australian WtE sector provides excellent potential in the long-term. The signing of this agreement is a reflection of Masdar’s global clean energy ambitions and will further support Australia’s roadmap towards a low-carbon future,” he said.
McCreanor added that Tribe is excited to announce its long-term partnership with Masdar, and looks forward to delivering world-class clean energy infrastructure for the communities in which it operates.
“WtE is safe, reliable and affordable and we’re pleased to be at the forefront of bringing this technology to Australia,” he said.
“We look forward to delivering sustainable waste management solutions that provide superior environmental outcomes and make sound economic sense.”
In January, Masdar and Tribe announced that they had acquired a 40 per cent stake in the East Rockingham WtE project in Perth.
Construction on the $511 million greenfield facility is ongoing, with the plant expected to be operational in late 2022.
When complete, East Rockingham will process 300,000 tonnes of non-recyclable residual municipal, commercial and industrial waste and up to 30,000 tonnes of biosolids each year.
The facility will also recover approximately 70,000 tonnes per annum of bottom ash, which will be processed for use in roadbase and other construction materials.
The facility will generate 29 megawatts of baseload renewable energy, enough to power more than 36,000 homes, and displace more than 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
In October, Opal Australian Paper and SUEZ Australia and New Zealand announced that Masdar and Tribe had joined them as additional equity partners for the development of the Maryvale WtE facility in Victoria.
The Maryvale EfW project will divert approximately 325,000 tonnes of non-recyclable residual waste from landfill and reuse it to generate steam and electricity to replace natural gas and coal fired electricity.
Masdar and Tribe are both founding members of the Australia United Arab Emirates Business Council, which was recently established to increase collaboration between the two countries.
Related stories:
- Masdar acquires 40 per cent stake in East Rockingham WtE facility
- Two new equity partners join Maryvale WtE project
- East Rockingham WtE facility announces financial close