The Maryvale Energy from Waste (EfW) project has secured the first EfW licence from Recycling Victoria under the Waste to Energy Scheme.
The EfW facility, which is developed by a consortium of partners including Opal, Veolia and Masdar Tribe Australia, will process non-recyclable municipal solid waste, which would otherwise go to landfill, to generate energy for the Maryvale pulp and paper mill. The Maryvale mill produces much of Opal's packaging grade materials for its converting plants.
The project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Victoria by and estimated 270,000 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to taking 50,000 cars off the road annually.
The licence award coincides with the start of the detailed geotechnical study at the location of the EfW facility, in preparation for construction design and costings. This involves drill holes, surface soil sampling, and speciality electro-seismic surveys.
Spanish infrastructure group Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios SA will use the findings of the geotechnical study to enable engineering designs and costings for the foundations of the facility at the Maryvale EfW site.
Victorian Minister for Environment Steve Dimopoulos said the Waste to Energy Scheme is a key initiative that will help the state reach its target of diverting 80 per cent of waste from landfill by 2030.
“Projects like this mean more waste is diverted from landfill, while creating new jobs across regional Victoria,” he said.
“We have a robust framework to regulate waste to energy in Victoria, this is the first step in the process that will ensure all facilities meet best-practice environment protection requirements, reduce waste to landfill, and demonstrate social licence with surrounding communities.”
According to Richard Kirkman, CEO and managing director for Veolia Australia and New Zealand, it will bring Victoria closer to its sustainability goals.
“We know we need to look beyond landfill to reach net zero, and EfW is one way in which to divert from landfill,” said Kirkmann.
“These facilities have been converting waste into heat and electricity by means of combustion, as well as enabling recycling of metals and reuse of aggregates.
“In comparison to landfilling, they also manage waste immediately rather than leaving it to future generations to manage.”
The National Waste Report 2022 found Victoria has the second highest waste to landfill amount in Australia, which has seen a 15 per cent increase since 2016-17.
The facility will provide an innovative and sustainable waste management solution to Councils for their non-recyclable residual waste, by recovering energy and valuable materials and diverting it from landfill.
Councils will not be locked in to supplying fixed waste volumes to the facility, which will offer a ‘waste arising’ contract model, giving them the freedom to pursue alternate waste reduction initiatives without incurring any penalty.
“As the UAE’s clean energy powerhouse, Masdar is deeply committed to working with global partners to develop innovative solutions to accelerate our path towards net zero,” said Abdulla Zayed, director of Development and Investment at Masdar.
“We welcome further development on the Maryvale EfW project. Innovations in non-recyclable residual waste management are seeing the industry divert more waste away from landfill, while reducing emissions, producing energy and creating jobs.
“Leveraging world-leading technology and expertise, Masdar, Opal and Veolia’s partnership is now one step closer to supporting reduced emissions and benefitting local communities.
“We look forward to the prospect of construction commencing and the generation of sustainable energy in Victoria.”
Opal’s CEO, Chris Nagaura, said being awarded Victoria’s first EfW licence was a significant step forward for the Maryvale project, which is the most progressed of its kind in the state.
“The Maryvale EfW project will create an innovative new energy industry in the Latrobe Valley,” explained Nagaura.
“The geotechnical study at the project site demonstrates real progress towards the development of this world-class facility, which is expected to support approximately 500 jobs during the construction phase.”
The project is the recipient of a $48.2 million grant from the Australian government as part of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, and the $550,000 geotechnical study is funded through the grant.
