Phoenix Energy will start preliminary groundwork on Australia’s first waste-to-energy facility in Kwinana, WA, in early 2018.
Phoenix Energy and project co-sponsor Macquarie Capital have entered into exclusive negotiations with a consortium to design, construct and operate the facility — which will start commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2020 and is expected to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2021.
The consortium includes Spanish infrastructure and renewable energy company Acciona, and waste management and energy services company Veolia.
The facility is the only waste-to-energy source to be appointed to the Preferred Supplier Panel for Sustainable Energy Generation, that is operated by the WA Local Government Association (WALGA).
Councils are now able to purchase the base load renewable energy that is generated from their own specific municipal waste, ensuring that their power is being sourced renewably from waste created in their community.
Eight Local Government Authorities have long-term contracts in place to utilise the residential (post-recycling) rubbish from their area to generate baseload renewable energy.
The appointment of Kwinana Waste to Energy as a preferred supplier means that other councils can also supply their waste under the WALGA process and purchase the power back.
Set to be the first of its kind in Australia, the facility will be able to process 400,000 tonnes of waste a year and will generate about 40MW of energy.
