16MW LOW TEMPERATURE GASIFICATION WASTE TO ENERGY PLANT FOR KARRATHA, WA

Perth, Australia based low temperature gasification waste to energy project developer, New Energy, has been given the go-ahead for its planned 16 MW waste to energy facility near the City of Karratha, Western Australia.

Shortly before Christmas last year the company was successful in the tender process and plans to take waste from Karratha to their proposed waste to energy facility at Boodarie, South of Port Headland.

A report today by The West Australian, explained that Albert Jacob, Western Australia’s Minister for Environment, wrote to the company this week to confirm his decision to approve the East Rockingham project – which will still require authorisation from other relevant authorities.

According to the City of Karratha, under a tender that has been awarded, New Energy will provide resource recovery services at the Seven Mile Landfill.

The City added that under the plan, up to 60,000 tonnes of waste will be diverted from landfill each year, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Gasification technology

The ‘WtGas’ low temperature waste gasification technology used at the planned waste to energy plant has been developed by Canning Vale, Western Australia based firm, ENTECH Renewable Energy Solutions.

According to ENTECH, at the heart of its patented WtGas system is the syngas production stage is its Pyrolytic Gasification Chamber, which receives the waste and subjects it to low temperature-substoichiometric gasification; so as to heat and convert it into methane like gases high in CO, CH4 & CnHn hydrocarbons.

The feedstock of the gasification process is subjected to regular churning and stoking by the ENTECH Churning, Stoking & Distribution System so as to expose all matter to the actual gasification process.

The feedstock is processed over a period of around 16-24 hours to ensure complete gasification.

Peter Long, Mayor of the City of Karratha said that the Council was pleased to be signing on as a customer for an Australian first project that used technology developed in Western Australia.

“Council staff are always looking at ways we can conduct our business more efficiently and this tender really ticks all the boxes,” said Long.

“By outsourcing materials recovery we will divert around 90% of residential waste from landfill which will expand the life of our Seven Mile facility by 60 year,” he added.

Under the tender, New Energy will build and operate a materials recovery facility at the City’s Seven Mile waste facility.

Materials that can be recycled will be separated for re-use, a small amount of inert materials will go to landfill and the rest will be fed into the waste to energy plant to generate power.

They City of Karratha’s waste services will not be affected by the tender with bin collection, tip services, the tip shop and recycling options all remaining available.

The project is set to commence construction in 2015 and be operational by 2017 and cost around AUS$180 million ($146 million).