Staff writers
Maroondah City Council has won a contract to supply 20,000-tonnes of non-recyclable municipal waste a year as feedstock for the Maryvale energy-from-waste project.
Maroondah is the first council to sign up to supply 55 tonnes a day of municipal solid waste to Maryvale.
It means that the project consortium has now secured contracts for half of the feedstock needed for the project to produce steam and electricity to help power the mill.
Consortium partner Veolia had already committed to supplying 150,000 tonnes a year of commercial and industrial waste.
The Maryvale energy-from-waste facility will need 325,000 tonnes of non-recyclable council and business waste to power the project.
Veolia general manager Jonathan Mayberry said the announcement was “testament to Maroondah’s environmental leadership and forward-thinking approach”.
Mr Mayberry said the contract meant councils were not locked in to supplying a minimum quantity of waste.
“The Maryvale energy-from-waste project provides councils with the opportunity to drive up recycling rates and recover maximum value from non-recyclables as part of a more sustainable waste management solution for their communities,” Mr Mayberry said.
“The model allows councils the freedom and flexibility to continue pursuing their own recycling initiatives and strategies to continue to reduce waste, without incurring a penalty for supplying lower quantities to the Maryvale EfW facility.”
Maroondah mayor Mike Symon said the contract would help the council focus on more sustainable waste and recycling methods and reduce waste going to landfill.
The Maryvale energy-from-waste project is aiming to reduce demand for electricity and gas from the Victorian energy network.
The project has already gained regulatory approvals and is estimated to cut 270,000 tonnes per annum in greenhouse gases a year.
It was granted $48.2 million through the federal government’s modern manufacturing initiative.
