SEAFORD HEIGHTS SOUTHERN REGION WASTE RESOURCE AUTHORITY

SRWRA is home to a world class renewable energy facility, which combines bioenergy and solar technologies to deliver reliable renewable electricity for the southern region of Adelaide. Commissioned in 2019, this South Australian first utilises the biogas generated by the breakdown of organic matter from landfill through anaerobic decomposition and Australian sunshine to produce over 25,000Mwh’s of renewable energy per annum, and also, in the future, from scalable anaerobic digestion with a pilot plant constructed.

HYDROGEN PARK, SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Hydrogen Park South Australia (HyP SA) is an Australian first to deliver a renewable hydrogen blend to customers on the existing gas network. Renewable hydrogen is produced from water and renewable electricity using a 1.25MW Siemens Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyser. Commencing production in May 2021, HyP SA is owned and operated by the Australian Gas Networks. It can produce around 175 tonnes of hydrogen annually, equivalent to the gas use of 1,500 South Australian homes, or tens of thousands if blended with methane.

YARRA VALLEY WATER REWASTE

Yarra Valley Water is Melbourne’s largest water utility, providing essential water and sanitation services to more than 1.8 million people. Its ReWaste facility diverts 33,000 tonnes of organic waste from landfill and creates around 8,600 mWh in renewable energy every year through anaerobic digestion. At full capacity, ReWaste generates 25 per cent of Yarra Valley Water’s annual electricity demand. ReWaste exports around 70 per cent of what it generates as excess back to the electricity grid.

MELBOURNE BIOENERGY HUB

An exciting opportunity to tour a water treatment plant which is currently going through an innovative transformation in its approach to utilising bioenergy produced from wastewater.

GOULBURN BIOENERGY PROJECT

The Goulburn Bioenergy project is owned and operated by Resonance Asset Management and is based in the Southern Meats abattoir in Goulburn, NSW. Biogas from the breakdown of effluent and organic waste from Southern Meats is captured by an anaerobic digester and used by fuel generators to produce electricity. This is then used by Southern Meats as they process sheep and lambs to reduce their peak electricity consumption.

MSM MILLING

MSM Milling is a leading company in producing and promoting healthy vegetable oil products. In 2019, MSM Milling commissioned a $5.38 million cornerstone project for the Australian food processing industry, making it the country’s first low carbon canola oil producer. The biomass-fuelled boiler was funded by MSM Milling, in conjunction with a $2 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), under the Advancing Renewables Program. The 4.88MW boiler is fuelled by locally sourced renewable wood waste, forestry thinnings, offcuts and sawmill by-products, to generate the steam needed for the canola processing operation. The biomass boiler replaces three LPG boilers, with the vast majority of heat and steam requirements now coming from renewables.

PLUMBING INDUSTRY CLIMATE ACTION CENTRE

Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) opened the doors to its Beenleigh campus in 2019. PICAC Beenleigh has been designed to deliver world-class training in the trade sectors of sanitary plumbing, fire protection and mechanical services. The facility accommodates 400 – 500 fire protection and plumbing apprentices, 100 mechanical services or HVAC apprentices and 100 pre-apprenticeship trainees. In August 2020, the QLD State Government awarded PICAC $20 million in funding towards the construction of a comprehensive Queensland Apprenticeships Centre with a particular focus on the development of training in renewable hydrogen.

LOGAN CITY BIOSOLIDS GASIFICATION FACILITY

Logan Water’s Biosolids Gasification facility transforms biosolids from human waste into renewable energy and biochar in an Australian first project. The design features dewatering of biosolids in centrifuges to 20% dry, drying it in belt dryers to 90% dry and then treating it in a gasifier at 650oC to create a pelletised, charcoal-like product. The facility captures and reuses its own heat energy to dry the biosolids, while a 1MW solar array provides additional energy.