Sydney Water committed to sustainable energy projects Philip Woods, Energy Manager and Peter Anders, Contract Services Manager, Sydney Water
Along with the provision of world-class water and wastewater services, protection of the health of our customers and protection of the environment are part of Sydney Water’s core values.
S
Case study: Bondi Wastewater Treatment Plant
with wastewater sludge. So far we have
its carbon and ecological footprints by 45% and
The Bondi wastewater treatment plant
440 MWh of additional renewable energy.
35%, respectively, since
became a net energy producer last year.
Our long-term 2020 plan is to provide
2007–08. This has been
Generation of electricity in 2015, through the
a service for most or all organic waste
achieved despite an in-
co-digestion process, exceeded electricity
streams for our customers. Our audit of
demand by 13%.
waste streams identified two streams that
ydney Water has reduced
creasing population and the need for more energy-intensive water sources.
processed 220 kL of waste and produced
Codigestion is still in its infancy in
provide the best combination of benefits,
Pumping and treating water and waste-
Australia, but the results of Sydney Water’s
risk management and potential long-term
water uses large amounts of energy. Sydney
Bondi Glycerol Pilot Project have exceeded
scale — beverage waste and glycerol.
Water recognises the sustainability benefits in
expectation by leveraging international best
Sydney Water will deliver one new
producing our own power on-site and exporting
practice — with the potential to double our
codigestion pilot project per year over
some to the electricity grid. In doing this, we
biogas production. We use biogas to gener-
the next three years, with larger scale
produced 72,600 MWh in 2014–15, which is
ate green energy from waste.
commercialisation planned from 2020.
enough energy to power around 10,000 homes
In 2012 we built two 50 L digesters at
We recently commenced work on a
each year. Of this, we exported 6000 MWh
Bondi that were used for testing glycerol co-
collaborative codigestion research pro-
to the electricity grid.
digestion. Glycerol is the waste by-product
ject with Wollongong University, which
Operationally, Sydney Water is already
from the production of biodiesel. This work
is supported by the Australian Research
generating more than 17% of its total energy
showed that by adding just 2% glycerol to
Council. As part of this, two 1000 L re-
use through an extensive portfolio of renew-
wastewater received at the plant, we could
search digesters were built, to be located
able energy projects. This reduces greenhouse
double biogas production.
at Shellharbour wastewater treatment
gas emissions by over 60,000 tonnes a year.
We commenced a pilot project at our Bondi
plant. This work will help to optimise
Through our innovation, we continue to
wastewater treatment plant in October 2014
the value of co-digestion by determining
keep electricity purchase to below 1998 levels.
to co-digest up to 600,000 L of glycerol
maximum feed.
14 Sustainability Matters - Apr/May 2016
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au