Veolia will operate Australia’s first Waste to Energy Facility

Veolia Australia & New Zealand has been selected to operate and maintain the first Energy Recovery facility in the country: the Kwinana Project. First ever project to of its kind in Australia, the new state-of-the-art plant will start to generate approximately 40 MW of clean energy, i.e enough to power 50,000 households. This new plant will provide a more sustainable solution for the effective management of waste, and will bolster local energy supply to drive energy security and affordability.

Located in Kwinana, near Perth, the plant will process process 400,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste. Operations and maintenance of the facility will commence in 2021, following construction realized by consortium partner Acciona. It is estimated that over 800 jobs will be created during the construction phase, with a further 34 permanent operational positions once the plant is commissioned. The Kwinana Project, which size and capabilities equal or surpasses most of UK’s Energy Recovery Facilities, will comply with the highest standards in place (i.e European Industrial Emissions Directives) and emissions to air will be monitored by a Continuous Emissions Measurement System (CEMS). Veolia will perform operations and maintenance services for Kwinana Project for an initial 25 year term, with an estimated contract value of A$450M (~EUR 278 millions).

The Kwinana Project is the first waste to energy project in the country to reach financial close. This project has been developed under a new innovative partnership model, known as “assetco-opco”. Project Co, made up of Phoenix Energy, Macquarie Capital and DIF Infrastructure, are the asset owners and have selected Acciona to build the facility and Veolia to operate and maintain the plant. This innovative approach makes use of each partners’ complementary expertise to deliver sustainable solutions to local authorities.

“Veolia aspires to drive improved sustainability outcomes for ourselves, our customers and our communities, helping to preserve the living environment. We work everyday to make waste a valuable resource and proud ourselves on our long standing track record operating Waste to Energy facilities around the globe. We are very proud that this major project is a step further towards delivering energy security and affordability to many Australian households, whilst also reducing the environmental impact of waste - a true example of circular economy," said  Danny Conlon, Executive Vice President Veolia Australia and New Zealand.

The Kwinana project adds to Veolia’s existing Woodlawn Bioreactor Facility located in New South Wales, which currently manages around 20% of Sydney’s organic waste, capturing methane to generate clean energy for up to 30,000 homes. Further, in Queensland, Veolia’s joint venture “Ti Tree Bioenergy Facility” creates enough energy to power 2,500 homes annually through the creation of green electricity from methane. The Earthpower Facility in New South Wales is Australia’s first regional food-waste-to energy Facility, with Veolia producing enough green electricity to power over 3,600 homes.

As leader in integrated waste management and a long-standing partner of local authorities, Veolia offers its municipal customers various energy production solutions based on the valorization of household waste. The Group operates 63 Energy Recovery Facilities worldwide. In France only, Veolia operates 43 waste to energy plants, almost 40% of the country's active plants. Within Australia and New Zealand we operate from over 200 locations within the region, and employs 4000 people.