Maryvale project awarded waste to energy licence

The Maryvale Energy from Waste (EfW) project has been awarded the first Energy from Waste licence from Recycling Victoria under the state’s Waste to Energy Scheme.

The EfW facility will process non-recyclable municipal solid waste (MSW) that would otherwise go to landfill to generate energy for Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale pulp and paper mill, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 270,000 tonnes per year.

Opal’s CEO Chris Nagaura, said: “The Maryvale Energy from Waste project will create an innovative new energy industry in the Latrobe Valley.”

The project, being developed by a consortium of partners including Opal, Veolia and Masdar Tribe Australia is backed by a $48.2 million grant from the Australian Government as part of the Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

A $550,000 geotechnical study funded through the grant is underway involving drill holes, surface soil sampling and speciality electro-seismic surveys.

Spanish infrastructure group Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios SA (Cobra) will use the findings of the geotechnical study to enable engineering designs and costings for the foundations of the facility.

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.

Picture: Opal Australian Paper