Waste management company Remondis Australia has announced the signing of a contract with solutions provider Jacobs to support the design and environmental aspects of its proposed $400 million Energy From Waste facility.
Jacobs will oversee the key engineering, design, procurement and environmental work for the facility, including the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), a crucial element for the project. The company will now begin preliminary engineering studies and design work, which will ultimately inform the EIS.
Remondis Project Manager, Sarah Collins, says Jacobs was selected due to its extensive global experience.
"We need the best and most experienced minds guiding us as we move through the design and approvals process," she says.
"Jacobs has an impressive record supporting major infrastructure delivery nationally and globally, including Energy from Waste projects. We're partnering with Jacobs to undertake key technical and environmental studies, enabling us to develop the project as we seek approvals.
"That will in turn enable us to inform the community about specific details as our community consultation process evolves."
Jacobs Executive Director of Operations Australia and New Zealand, Solutions and Advisory, Prasannah Kumar, says there are a number of benefits associated with the potential Energy from Waste facility.
"Beyond being safe and effective, Energy from Waste facilities are a way of life in many big cities overseas," he says.
"We can see the potential at Swanbank and want to play a key role in delivering a facility modelled on global best practice. The obvious benefits include a staggering drop in landfill operations and a cleaner way of making electricity."
Approximately 40 of Jacobs’ specialists will work alongside REMONDIS' locally based management team.
The $400 million Energy from Waste proposal forms part of REMONDIS' planned $700 million Clean Energy & Resource Recovery Precinct at Swanbank, which would lift current waste management operations to global best practice by enhancing the 'circular economy' concept – doing something with almost all waste that arrives, as opposed to burying it.
The proposal fits with the Queensland Government’s objective of finding waste landfill alternatives, given that landfill sites are being exhausted.
"Instead of digging unsightly holes, dealing with the resulting land disturbance and environmental impacts, and tipping up to half a million tonnes of non recyclable waste in each year, we can divert almost all of that and use it to make cleaner electricity," Collins says.
"This is an ideal site for such technology, given the long-term waste supply and proximity to electricity infrastructure."
If approved, the Energy from Waste facility would create 200 construction and 70 permanent jobs. To find out more about the project, visit energyfromwaste.com.au.
