Despite the recent closure of two paper lines, the Maryvale Opal Australian mill, in conjunction with Veolia and Masdar, has won a $48.2 million grant from the Australian government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI). The state-of-the-art EfW facility will be constructed at Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley.
EFW site - artist rendition
“The Maryvale EfW facility will be the first of its kind in Australia to recover heat and power from residual non-recyclable municipal and commercial waste to provide partly renewable power for large-scale manufacturing,” said Opal, which last week announced it was closing another paper manufacturing machine at the mill.
Speaking on behalf of the consortium, Edward Nicholas, general manager Masdar Tribe Australia, said that the grant demonstrates the Australian Government’s commitment to supporting innovative, alternative energy sources for manufacturing.
“The funding support from the Commonwealth not only demonstrates the importance of this technology in providing a waste management solution to a whole-of-community problem, but it also accelerates our project towards completing the development phase and commencing construction,” he said.
The Maryvale EfW facility will provide councils and businesses with a competitive waste management solution that will divert residual waste from landfill and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to an Opal press release. Contracts will be offered on a waste arising basis, enabling councils to have the freedom to pursue future waste reduction initiatives without penalty.
“The social, environmental and economic case to send non-recyclable waste to the Maryvale EfW facility is compelling,” said Nicholas. “With finite capacity and heightened interest, forward-thinking councils are moving quickly to secure this opportunity while it’s still available.”
Opal said the Maryvale EfW project will attract investment capital of over $600 million to the Latrobe Valley and the state-of-the-art infrastructure supports the sustainable growth of an innovative energy industry in the Gippsland region. “It will create more than 500 jobs in Victoria and Gippsland during the construction phase, and support an estimated 450 Victorian jobs once operational, including direct and flow-on.
“The state-of-the-art EfW facility will be constructed at Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley. Veolia, which already operates 65 state-of-the-art EfW facilities around the world, will operate and maintain the facility. The EfW facility will use non-recyclable residual waste to produce steam and electricity to supply the Mill. It will feature technology that provides superior reliability, compliance to stringent emissions standards, superior energy efficiency and more than 99% diversion of waste away from landfill consistent with circular economy principles. The Maryvale EfW project has EPA Victoria and Latrobe City Council regulatory approvals for construction.”
https://opalanz.com/future/energy-from-waste
