ACCIONA to construct waste-to-energy in Australia

ACCIONA is to construct a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in East Rockingham (Western Australia), the country’s second large-scale WTE plant, in a contract worth AUD 511 million (USD 354 million). Once completed, it will treat around 300,000 tons of waste every year, preventing more than 300,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per annum - the pollution generated by around 64,000 cars.

This utility-scale waste-to-energy plant will help to address Australia’s rising waste management problem by diverting waste from landfills. The project will be located in the industrial region of Rockingham, 40 km south of Perth and will generate 28.96MW of renewable baseload energy to support Western Australia’s electricity network, it is the equivalent to the consumption of more than 36,000 households.

ACCIONA is the lead contractor for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) project, together with Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), as well as holding an equity stake in the company for the project alongside HZI and John Laing.

John Laing Group plc has announced that it has entered into an agreement to invest AUD 51.5 million (USD 36 million) in the facility.

Waste supply, O&M and disposal services will be provided by SUEZ. It will also purchase power generated by the project for its operational requirements across its business in the Perth area.

The project also received financial backing from the CEFC, an Australian government-owned institution that supports the country’s energy transition, which has committed up to AUD 57.5 million to the project (USD 39.86 million) and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that will provide AUD 18 million (USD 12 million) in recoupable grant funding toward the project.

The plant will treat residual waste from municipal, commercial and industrial sources. It will also recover around 73,800 tons of bottom ash every year, which will be processed and used in road bases and other construction materials.

The centre is expected to be operational by 2023.