Waste to Energy facility takes shape

Construction on the Avertas Energy Waste to Energy facility is well underway in the Kwinana Industrial Area. Photo courtesy Avertas Energy.

City of Gosnells is one of eight local governments in Perth’s south keeping a close watch on development of Australia’s first Waste to Energy (WtE) facility.

Construction is well underway at the Kwinana-based facility, which is set to process 400,000 tonnes of solid waste to generate enough power for about 52,000 households.

City of Gosnells Mayor, David Goode said the project was a crucial part of the City’s long-term waste management plan as it would divert significantly more than 75 percent of household waste from landfill.

“The City is currently planning for a rapid transfer station to be built within its boundaries to facilitate the low cost transport of compacted waste to the Kwinana WtE facility, which is about 35km away.

“We are excited to be involved in the first WtE plant in Australia, implementing technology that is widely used overseas to manage household waste.

“Many factors, including FOGO (Food Organic Garden Organic), were considered in the City’s ultimate decision to proceed with WtE, which was the best commercial and environmental option for our community.”

Avertas Energy, which is managing the project, announced in late May that the major foundations and civil components had been completed.

Work on the mechanical erection of the boiler steelwork is also well advanced and combustion grates for the two boiler lines are currently being installed – a critical milestone since the project began in November 2018.

The combustion gates are integral to the overall boiler assembly and are a part of the sophisticated technology providing an integrated system to ensure complete combustion and the capture and treatment of emissions.

The remainder of the boiler vessel components will be arriving in the coming months and the facility is expected to begin commissioning in mid-2021.