energy from waste
© tonefotografia/Dollar Photo Club
Figure 1. Number of facilities connected to grid by feedstock type.
NAMEPLATE CAPACITY BY FUEL TYPE (MW) STATE
TOTAL (MW)
LFG
Municipal/ Industrial biomass
Bagasse
Sewage/ Wastewater
NSW & ACT
57
4
68
0
129
Vic
50
0
0
2
52
WA
20
40*
0
0
60
SA
13
0
0
0
13
Qld
14
30*
320
0
364
Tas
5
0
0
0
5
TOTAL
159
74
388
2
623
Table 1: Nameplate capacity of EfW facilities connected to distribution networks. (*Wood waste generation plants)
EfW facilities. The total power generated is
tionwide distribution of these ‘fuels’ is shown
only 623 MW.
in Figure 3. While additional materials in the
More facilities are proposed to treat urban
waste could be used as a fuel, it would be at
wastes, as shown in Table 2. These amount
the expense of established resource recovery
to around 200 MW generation capacity with
and recycling operations. This may prove to
a capital investment of nearly $1.5 billion.
be a major issue for proponents seeking to
In addition, there are a number of facilities
justify EfW with the regulatory authorities as
being planned to manufacture Refuse Derived
well as environmental stakeholders and the
Fuel, or RDF (sometimes referred to a Process
general public. It is worth remembering the
Engineered Fuel, or PEF). These fuels are
Sustainability Guide from 2005.
generally targeted at the export market. Only
The calorific value of the fuel currently
the RecourceCo facility in Adelaide produces a
being landfilled is estimated to be 63 million
fuel which is used locally, in cement produc-
GJ per annum. If the material is used for
tion and not power generation.
electricity production it would generate around
Australia currently sends around 23 mil-
13 GJ per annum of power (assuming 20%
lion tonnes of urban waste to landfill. The
efficiency). Australia’s electricity consump-
breakdown state by state is shown in Figure
tion in 2014–15 was 700 million GJ, so the
2, but not all of it would be suitable as fuel.
potential to supply energy from Australia’s
The portion of the landfilled waste which
urban wastes represents around 2% of the
would be suitable as a fuel (plastics, paper
This is very much a ‘back-of-the-envelope’
to be approximately 6.3 million tpa . The na-
analysis, but it does demonstrate a need to
[3]
www.SustainabilityMatters.net.au
annual demand.
and cardboard, wood and textiles) is estimated
Apr/May 2016 - Sustainability Matters 9