Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan

Construction Of Kwinana Waste To Energy Plant Creates 800 Jobs

Victor P Taffa

• Australia’s first thermal waste to energy facility to be built in Kwinana
• More than 800 jobs to be created during construction and 60 positions once operational
• Facility will divert 400,000 tonnes of residual waste from landfill each year and recover as energy
• Up to 36 MW of electricity to be exported into the South West Interconnected System, able to power more than 50,000 households

Premier Mark McGowan today joined representatives from Avertas Energy, Macquarie Capital and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund, to turn the sod on Australia’s first thermal waste to energy facility.

“Having the country’s first thermal waste to energy facility built in Western Australia demonstrates confidence in our economy and shows Western Australia has the capacity to be at the forefront of new technologies for waste management.” Premier Mark McGowan said.

“During construction hundreds of local jobs will be created, which will be a huge boost to the local economy and create more opportunities for local workers across a range of trades.”

Project, co-developed by Macquarie Capital and Phoenix Energy Australia, will be the first thermal waste to energy facility in the country and is expected to create more than 800 jobs during construction and 60 positions once fully operational, with the vast majority to be Western Australian jobs.

New facility will thermally treat the waste and convert the recovered energy into steam to produce electricity.

Kwinana facility will divert 400,000 tonnes of residual household, commercial and industrial waste from landfill each year and when fully operational, the facility will export up to 36 MW of electricity into the South West Interconnected System, sufficient to power more than 50,000 households.

Funding for the project is provided by Macquarie Capital, Dutch Infrastructure Fund, Clean Energy Finance Corporation, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and a range of financial institutions.

Construction of the facility has commenced and is expected to be open by the end of 2021.