In a major step forward, an $8 million Bottom Ash Recycling facility has been approved by EPA Victoria, the first of its kind approved for construction in the state, and will be located with the Maryvale Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, at Opal Australian Paper's Maryvale Mill.
The Maryvale EfW facility, constructed by a consortium made up by Opal, Veolia and Masdar Tribe Australia, will process 325,000 tonnes of residual waste, recovering energy that would otherwise be lost to landfill.
Bottom ash will be processed to recover a range of metals before transferring them for recycling.
The remaining inert materials will be suitable for processing in the manufacture of Maryvale Recycled Aggregate (MRA), a product that can be used in road construction as a sustainable alternative to traditional asphalt.
MRA will be a safe and high quality lightweight recycled aggregate, unique to the Maryvale EfW facility. The recycled aggregate will be aligned with VicRoads Class 3 and Class 4 aggregate performance standards, which are used in Victorian road construction.
During construction, the Bottom Ash Recycling facility is expected to create 25 jobs. Once operational, the facility is expected to support 10 direct ongoing roles, in addition to the hundreds of direct and flow-on Victorian jobs supported by the EfW facility.
Jonathan Mayberry, general manager, business development at Veolia, said that securing the EPA approval marked a positive development for the project.
“EfW facilities are a proven and reliable solution that derive valuable energy from non-recyclable residual waste,” said Mayberry.
“Of the 325,000 tonnes of waste the Maryvale facility will accept every year, some 96 per cent will be diverted away from landfill.
“Approval to integrate the Bottom Ash Recycling facility further strengthens the project’s environmental credentials by allowing approximately 60,000 tonnes of aggregates, and approximately 6000 tonnes of metals to be recycled and recovered.”
According to David Jettner, Opal’s general manager, corporate development and strategic projects, integrating the Bottom Ash Recycling facility further strengthens the Maryvale EfW project’s alignment with circular economy principles.
“The Bottom Ash Recycling facility will create additional jobs, and add economic value for the Latrobe Valley. Importantly, together with the Maryvale EfW facility, it will bring innovative and emerging industries to the region,” Jettner concluded.
The EfW project recently received a $48.2 million grant through the Australian government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI).
