LILYDALE WASTE TO ENERGY PROJECT
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Let’s start at the beginning… What is food waste to energy? What food waste is accepted? Benefits of waste to energy Our Waste to Energy success in Wollert
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What we’re planning in Lilydale How we manage potential impacts What’s in it for the local community? What do you think? What’s next?
1. Let’s start at the beginning… Who is Yarra Valley Water?
Why waste to energy?
• We provide clean water to the people and businesses of Melbourne and take their sewage away.
We have set ourselves a target of producing 100 per cent of our own energy needs by 2025 – generating as much energy as we consume.
• We service around 2 million people and more than 50,000 businesses across a 4,000-kilometre area, from Wallan in the north to Warburton in the east.
Our food waste to energy facility in Wollert, in Melbourne’s north, produces around 20 per cent of Yarra Valley Water’s total energy needs, and the facility in Lilydale is expected to produce a further 30 per cent to fulfil our energy needs.
• Our purpose is to support the health and wellbeing of our customers, and create a brighter future for communities and the natural environment.
In addition to transforming food waste into energy, we’ve been generating our own energy through solar panels installed across multiple sewage treatment plant sites, as well as at our offices in Mitcham.
We’ve been neighbours for over 50 years We’ve been operating water and sewer infrastructure in Lilydale for decades. Our sewage treatment plant in Nelson Road sits at the southern end of a large 3-hectare block of land. It has operated there for over 50 years, collecting and treating sewage from Lilydale, Coldstream and Yarra Glen. The plant also produces Class B recycled water, which can be used for irrigating pasture and sporting fields and watering some types of crops.
We purchased new land in Coldstream in 2019
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It’s not a new thing for Yarra Valley Water to own land around our facilities. Besides using the land for operating our own infrastructure to provide water and sanitation services to our customers, we sometimes need it to have a distance buffer from nearby properties, which helps with managing odours and noise. We also sometimes lease land to farmers and often this will include irrigating the land with recycled water to reduce our discharges of recycled water to local waterways.
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In late 2019, we purchased 176 hectares of land at 535-537 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream, to use for future expansion of services focused around recycled water. The waste to energy facility isn’t being built on this new land, but we are planning to use a small part of it as an access route.
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2. What is food waste to energy?
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2 Biogas fuels the generator We turn commercial food waste into renewable to make energy
Approved commercial suppliers deliver spoiled Sewage Treatmentand it gets food waste to our facility in trucks, Plant fed into a sealed tank called a ‘digester’.
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Processing waste to make biogas
Biogas fuels the generator human stomach, bacteria inside the to Like make aenergy
energy using a natural scientific process called ‘anaerobic digestion’, which is similar to the way a human body breaks down waste.
Sewage Power Treatment Grid Plant
digester breaks down the waste, generating a mixture of gases known as ‘biogas’. The main gas is methane which natural gas is mostly made up of. The biogas is then cleaned to Power remove odours and impurities. Grid
Burning the biogas Burning the biogas to make energy to make energy
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Biogas fuels the generator to make energy
Biogas cleaned
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Burning the biogas to make energy
The facility won’t be using a gasifier or incinerator to burn food waste. Instead, we burn the biogas in an engine, which generates electricity. Some energy is used to power our facility and the neighbouring Lilydale sewage treatment plant, and any excess renewable energy is sold to the power grid.
COMMERCIAL FOOD WASTE COMMERCIAL FOOD WASTE from pre-approved suppliers. from pre-approved suppliers.
3. What food waste is accepted? The facility will only accept commercial food waste, which may include fats and oils, meat, fruit and vegetables. We’ll only be dealing with commercial suppliers who have agreements with us.
We’ll accept:
ACCEPTABLE WASTE ACCEPTABLE WASTE
Dough and Dough and bakery waste bakery waste
BeverageBeverage waste waste
Meat
We encourage manufacturers in the Yarra Valley, including wineries, breweries and cheesemakers, to apply to provide waste.
We can’t accept:
NON-ACCEPTABLE WASTE NON-ACCEPTABLE WASTE
Household Household food waste food waste
Hazardous Hazardous waste waste
Non- Nonorganic organic wastes wastes
Meat
Fats Fats and oils and oils
THINKING OF BRINGING YOUR COMMERCIAL FOOD WASTE TO US?
breweries, cheesemakers, breweries, cheesemakers, cafes and bakeries. cafes and bakeries.
Fruit andFruit and vegetables vegetables
Garden Garden waste/wood waste/wood Rubbish Rubbish waste waste
• Fruit, vegetables and flowers • Garden waste, wood or any The facility’s DAILY STAT YEARLY STAT The facility’s DAILY STAT YEARLY STAT from markets non-organic wastes like plastics digester operates digester operates 150 TONNES DIVERTS 150 TONNES DIVERTS or metals – our digester cannot of waste processed • Winery or brewery food waste of waste processed 24/7 24/7 KILOWATTeasily break these down KILOWATT, HOURS 33 000 • Coffee grounds , HOURS 33 000 of energy produced TRUCKTRUCKDeliveries will of energy• produced tonnes Deliveries will be accepted Household waste, due to the risk of tonnes be accepted deliveries enough to power around • Grease trap deliveries waste from local cafes enough to power around of waste 6am to 4pm of waste 6am to 4pm regular contamination (we will review this regular from landfill per dayper day MONDAY TOMONDAY from landfill houses 1800 TO SATURDAY houses 1800 SATURDAY • Egg/dough/bakery waste opportunity in the future)
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4. Benefits of waste to energy Every year, our Lilydale facility will be: • diverting about 50,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill • reducing greenhouse gas emissions – equivalent to taking 18,000 family-sized cars off the road • generating about 33,000 kilowatt-hours of clean renewable energy each day • meeting up to 30% of Yarra Valley Water’s total energy needs – enough to power the facility itself as well as our neighbouring sewage treatment plant, and we’ll be exporting excess energy to the power grid • reducing our energy costs so we can keep pressure off our customers’ water bills.
A bit more about the environmental benefits
A bit more about the cost benefits
The Lilydale facility will create clean, renewable energy by diverting thousands of tonnes of food waste away from landfill to be turned into something useful.
Like our food waste to energy facility in Wollert, the Lilydale facility will be run as an efficient business, providing a commercial service that competes with other waste disposal options.
Landfills face great challenges in managing environmental issues including greenhouse gas emissions, vermin and leachate runoff. Many of these issues are created or worsened by food waste, so the less food waste going to landfill the better.
Over time, investment in waste to energy pays for itself through a combination of gate fees received for accepting food waste, reduced purchase of electricity from the grid for our infrastructure, and the sale of excess electricity to the grid.
By using this food waste to generate lowemission renewable energy, we also reduce our reliance on fossil fuel sources. Yarra Valley Water aims to generate 100% of our own clean energy by 2025.
The facility also allows Yarra Valley Water to make better use of existing land around our treatment plant sites. Over the long term, the financial benefits of waste to energy will help to keep pressure off our customers’ water bills.
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Wollert waste to energy – a snapshot
It will be one of the biggest food waste to energy facilities of its kind in Victoria. Unlike some other waste to energy plants, it will not use a gasifier or incinerator to burn waste.
The new Lilydale facility will operate in the same way, taking food waste from approved businesses and using it to create clean renewable energy and divert about 50,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill every year.
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Bringing our success to Lilydale
• started operating in 2017 • diverts around 33,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill each year • creates enough power to meet over 20 per cent of our energy requirements • 25 truck deliveries a day
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We already operate a successful food waste to energy facility at Wollert, in Melbourne’s north. This multiaward-winning facility sits next to an existing sewage treatment plant in Wollert and generates enough biogas to run both sites with surplus energy being exported to the electricity grid
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5. Our Waste to Energy success in Wollert
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6. What we’re planning in Lilydale Our sewage treatment plant in Nelson Road sits at the southern end of a 57-hectare block of land. It has operated there for over 50 years, collecting and treating sewage from Lilydale, Coldstream and Yarra Glen. The waste to energy facility is to be three hectares in size, and will be built at our sewage treatment plant, 750 metres from the nearest house. Delivery trucks will be accessing the facility along a new road to be built off Maroondah Highway, close to the Ingram Road intersection in Coldstream.
Features of our enclosed facility: • tanks for holding and processing waste • large building to receive waste • engines (inside a building) that use the biogas to produce electricity • weighbridge for trucks • concrete areas for vehicle turning and parking • access road to Maroondah Highway, Coldstream.
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Artists impression only. Final layouts and colours to be confirmed with final design.
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Odour Treatment System Enclosed Gas Burner Digestate Storage Tanks Waste Processing Building
Artist’s impression only. Final layouts and colours to be confirmed with final design.
How do you think we could improve the look of the facility? We realise some cyclists, joggers and golfers may at times be able to see the facility from parts of the nearby Yarra Valley Trail and Gardiners Run Golf Course. The final appearance of the facility might change depending on feedback we get from the community, however it’s likely to look like the artist’s impression (see left). We’d love to hear your thoughts on the artist’s impression, as well as any suggestions you have about improving the look of the facility, or how you think we should be screening it from view.
7. How we manage potential impacts When designing, building and operating the facility, we want to be a good neighbour. That’s why we’re making sure the facility won’t be smelly or noisy, and that delivery trucks don’t disrupt local traffic conditions.
We have experience: • We know that the location of the facility is often still and quiet. Our Lilydale sewage treatment plant has been operating in the area for over 50 years. • As operators of almost 10,000 kilometres of sewer pipes and 10 sewage treatment plants across Melbourne’s northern and eastern suburbs, we’re experts at managing odours and noise.
Here’s what we’re doing: • Using only approved waste suppliers and being selective of what waste we accept
• Getting expert advice about odour and noise from specialists
• Keeping a buffer distance of 750 metres to the closest household
• Building a new access road via Maroondah Highway, Coldstream to keep trucks away from Nelson Road, Lilydale and other local back streets
• Restricting potentially smelly or noisy activities to happen inside buildings behind closed doors • We’re not storing waste outside our buildings – unlike rubbish tips or composting facilities
• Working with VicRoads to explore options for improving road safety and reducing the traffic impact on Maroondah Highway.
• Making our buildings out of noise-muffling materials and fitting them with odour control systems
We’ll be working closely with the Environment Protection Authority Victoria (EPA) to make sure odour and noise are managed, and we’ll need to meet strict EPA requirements to obtain the Works Approval we need to build and operate the facility.
8. What’s in it for the local community? This project will reduce waste, cut greenhouse gas emissions and help us save money on energy costs so we can keep pressure off customers’ water bills. However, there’s more to this project than simply turning food waste into energy.
Reducing costs for local waste suppliers Yarra Valley wineries, breweries, orchards and dairy farms are all potential suppliers. As well as reducing trucking costs and tip fees, their waste will deliver environmental benefits. If your organisation is interested in supplying waste to the facility, book a private conversation with our project team to have a chat about it. Or, visit us online at rewaste.com.au to submit your enquiry and see how much energy your waste could generate.
Delivering additional benefits to the local community Later in the project, we’ll be turning to the people of Lilydale and Coldstream to help us co-design the way we deliver additional benefits to the community such as enhancing the open space around the facility. We’ll be working with Yarra Ranges Council and locals to come up with ideas about how our waste to energy project can do more for the place you live and work in. We also see the construction phase as providing further economic benefits in the local area. Feel free to share your ideas online at yvw.com.au/LilydaleWTE
9. What do you think? Have your say now We’re in the first stage of the project, where we want people to have their say about: • the look of the facility • the access road entry at Maroondah Highway • anything else you think we should be aware of.
What change can I influence? Your feedback on the above points can influence the design of the facility, and when making the final decisions we’ll do our best to fulfil reasonable suggestions.
How can I have my say?
General Icons 1st colour preference
We understand some people may have views on the location of the facility, however this decision has already been made and we’re now shifting the focus to making sure we’re building and operating the facility in harmony with the surrounding area, its people and local wildlife.
You can provide feedback by:
2nd colour General Icons preference
1st colour preference
3rd colour preference
2nd colour preference
General Icons 1st colour preference
3rd colour preference
In addition to feedback from the community, our decisions must also consider economic viability, and planning and environmental requirements.
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Joining the conversation online at yvw.com.au/LilydaleWTE Booking your private conversation with the project team Calling us on 9872 1564 Emailing us at LilydaleWTE@yvw.com.au
We’ll be communicating to you again in late 2020 to share what we’ve heard from the community.
PROJECT PHASES TIMELINE
WE ARE HERE
Getting community feedback
BUILDING
the facility once planning and works are approved
FINALISING the design of the facility
10. What’s next? Right now, we’re in the first stage of the project, where people in the community are providing their feedback on the design of the facility. We’ll be going through everything we’ve heard, and this will inform the design of the facility. We’ll be writing to people in the community in late 2020 to share what we heard.
OPENING ENGAGING the community about local benefits.
and running the facility