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The first major waste-to-energy power plant in Australia recently began operations, marking a new era of waste burning. Australia has started developing several waste-to-energy power plants in a bid to incinerate household waste, instead of sending it to landfill, to produce electricity. While this could help reduce the number of landfills across the country, many environmentalists worry that it could cause more harm than good.
Waste-to-energy plants are facilities that burn municipal solid waste in boilers to produce steam and generate electricity. The waste fed into the plants consists primarily of residential solid waste, but it can also come from commercial, institutional, and industrial sources. Typically, around 90 percent of the energy produced at these plants can be used as electricity, with 10 percent being released as steam. Waste-to-energy plants are extremely expensive to build and run, which has deterred the widespread adoption of the model. Nevertheless, the waste-to-energy market is expanding and is expected to grow from a value of $35.1 billion in 2019 to around $50.1 billion by 2027.
The Kwinana Energy Recovery facility, south of Perth, is Australia’s first commercial-scale waste plant, capable of burning up to 460,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste a year. This is equivalent to around a quarter of the waste sent to landfill annually in the city of Perth, which is home to around 2 million people. This is not the only plant planned for the region, with another 300,000-tonne-a-year generator currently under construction in nearby East Rockingham.
More companies are bidding for licenses to develop waste-to-energy plants across Australia, with four approved licenses for Victoria and several under consideration in New South Wales, Queensland, and South Australia. If approved, together the plants would have the capacity to burn 2 million tonnes of waste annually, equivalent to around a quarter of the waste produced by Australian households. In total, 10 waste-to-energy plants are currently under development across the country.
As many landfills across the country are near capacity, the waste-to-energy scheme is attracting greater interest. However, while the model is being developed in several Australian states, it is banned in the Australian capital of Canberra. Although many are enthusiastic about bringing an end to the landfill model of waste management, others are concerned about the environmental impact of burning waste. For example, Zero Waste Australia says the initiative is “the most polluting and expensive way to generate energy and manage waste”. The group points out the potential detrimental impact on the environment and health from burning rubbish.
While many waste-to-energy plants across Europe are being decommissioned, the industry is gaining greater traction in Australia, which could lead to several more facilities being built in the coming years. Experts worry that increasing the number of plants could discourage households from recycling their waste. However, the transition is expected to be coupled with more schemes for recycling and green waste. In Europe, the reason so many facilities are being decommissioned is due to improved waste reduction, sorting, reuse and recycling efforts across many countries, which has led to a reduction in the waste needing to be burnt.
There are currently around 2,000 energy-to-waste plants operating worldwide, and several countries have long relied on the model of waste disposal. However, some are now planning to reduce their reliance on waste-to-energy plants, such as Denmark, which aims to reduce its waste incineration capacity by 30 percent between 2020 and 2030.
While there is broad government support for the waste-to-energy model, many communities across Australia are not so enthusiastic about having these facilities in their backyard. The $600 Veolia Advanced Energy Recovery Centre (ARC) at Woodlawn, near Goulburn, is currently under development and was expected to open in 2023. However, Veolia has faced significant community opposition to the project, due to health and environmental concerns.
Veolia plans to use moving grate technology to incinerate the waste at the plant, using high temperatures to produce steam, which will power turbines. It aims to produce enough electricity to power around 40,000 homes. The company guarantees that the gases released from the incinerator will be clean, to the highest international standard, so that no liquids or odours are discharged. However, local residents are not so confident. The New South Wales Department of Planning is currently waiting for Veolia to respond to issues raised before it provides final approval for the plant.
There is a lack of consensus about the harms and benefits of the waste-to-energy model. Supporters suggest that it can reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, by using waste to generate energy. It has also been shown to reduce emissions in some cities. For example, in Rotterdam, waste-to-energy processing reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 200,000 tons a year, according to the Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants. However, opponents suggest that burning waste may release less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, but it also produces more methane, which is highly damaging to the atmosphere. While the debate continues over which method of waste management is better, encouraging greater reduction, sorting, reuse and recycling efforts will be necessary to decrease the reliance on both methods, helping provide for greener waste disposal.
