FEATURED TOPIC – WASTE-TO-ENERGY
Green energy transition in Kwinana AUSTRALIA’S FIRST LARGE SCALE WASTE-TO-ENERGY FACILITY IS TAKING SHAPE SOUTH OF PERTH, MARKING A STEP FORWARD FOR TECHNOLOGYDRIVEN GREEN ENERGY GENERATION IN AUSTRALIA.
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vertas Energy’s facility is under construction in the Kwinana Industrial Area, 40 kilometres south of Perth’s central business district. When it opens in late 2021, the facility is expected to process 400,000 tonnes of municipal solid, commercial and industrial waste – residual waste not suited for recovery or recycling – under agreements with local governments and other providers in the city’s greater metropolitan area. It has been a long road for Waste-toEnergy (WtE) to reach Australia and Avertas Energy has been a trailblazer in securing appropriate government approvals and building awareness, educating and informing the community about this technology. Avertas Energy will use Keppel Seghers moving grate technology which underpins modern WtE facilities that have been operating in Europe, the US and Japan for decades. It is recognised as a proven and robust method, with moving tiles that push refuse through the boiler in an automated and controlled manner. The facility features dual grate/boiler trains that convert energy from the waste into a high pressure steam that is sent to a steam turbine/generator system to produce electricity. The facility will export 38 megawatts of electricity – enough to power circa 52,000 households – to the local grid. It includes a highly advanced flue
28 / WMR / September 2020
Avertas Energy will use Keppel Seghers moving grate technology which underpins modern WtE facilities that have been operating in Europe, the US and Japan for decades.
gas cleaning system to reduce and remove pollutants going into the atmosphere. Additionally, the emissions will be subject to a continuous emissions monitoring system that reports emissions online. This stringent monitoring ensures emissions and local air quality remains within limits set by the Western Australian Government, which are aligned with the European Union Industrial Emissions Directive, which is considered the most stringent globally. WtE is considered to be a vital part
of the circular economy as it recovers much of the embodied energy within residual waste that is not suited for recovery or recycling. The process diverts waste from landfill and enables recovery of valuable metals. The final output of the WtE process is fly ash and bottom ash, both of which are collected within the facility. Bottom ash is a useful construction material as it offers perfect structural properties. It has been used for road construction purposes in some countries in Europe for decades. Both ash types are useful
