Renewable Energy Australian Water Utilities
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Case Study 7 Renewable energy Australian water utilities The Australian water sector is a large emissions, Melbourne Water also has a Water Corporation are offsetting the energy user during the supply, treatment pipeline of R&D and commercialisation. electricity needs of their Southern and distribution of water. Energy use is These projects include algae for Seawater Desalination Plant by heavily influenced by the requirement treatment and biofuel production, purchasing all outputs from the to pump water and sewage and by advanced biogas recovery and small Mumbida Wind Farm and Greenough sewage treatment processes. To avoid scale hydro and solar generation. River Solar Farm. Greenough River challenges in a carbon constrained Solar Farm produces 10 megawatts of Yarra Valley Water, has constructed world, future utilities will need to rely renewable energy on 80 hectares of a waste to energy facility linked to a more on renewable sources of energy. land. The Mumbida wind farm comprise sewage treatment plant and generating Many utilities already have renewable 22 turbines generating 55 megawatts enough biogas to run both sites energy projects underway to meet their of renewable energy. In 2015-16, with surplus energy exported to the energy demands. planning started for a project to provide electricity grid. The purpose built facility a significant reduction in operating provides an environmentally friendly Implementation costs and greenhouse gas emissions by disposal solution for commercial organic offsetting most of the power consumed Sydney Water has built a diverse waste. The facility will divert 33,000 by the Beenyup Wastewater Treatment renewable energy portfolio made up of tonnes of commercial food waste Plant. Delivery of this project is expected cogeneration, hydroelectricity and solar, from landfill each year. The waste is to be complete in 2018. which now accounts for approximately delivered by trucks from commercial 20 per cent of its total energy demand. waste producers, such as markets and Many other utilities across the country Of this, cogeneration accounts for food manufacturing. As well as helping are also making a contribution. These approximately 15 per cent of energy to keep organics out of landfill it is also contributions range from small to large production, having been rolled out in helping to make recycling commercial scale. They include small-scale solar to eight of the larger wastewater treatment organic waste easier and more shared large-scale solar farms, wind plant sites. Sydney Water are now affordable for businesses. towers to supply all of a utility’s needs trialling co-digestion of sewage sludge and off-grid solutions. and organic food wastes; reflecting SA Water’s Bolivar wastewater a gradually changing mindset that treatment plant is 87 per cent Benefit / outcome Sydney Water could provide broader energy self-sufficient following new Financial benefits – reduced benefits as a ‘waste services’ provider infrastructure at the plant to make • energy costs and hedge against by expanding its current capability the best use of biogas to produce future price increases and treating one significant stream of waste. renewable energy. The renewable insecurity of supply. Hydroelectricity and a small amount of electricity generated at the Plant is solar is also generated in suitable sites enough to power 4000 houses a year. • Reduction in greenhouse gas within the network. SA Water is also taking large strides in emissions/climate change energy efficiency across its other sites. mitigation. Melbourne Water also has a significant Since 2013-14, its innovative energy Contribution to liveable and renewable energy program. Nine management program has helped • resilient cities. mini-hydros across Melbourne’s water reduce carbon emissions by 13,000 supply system generate 61,000 tonnes per year across wastewater • Reputational benefits for utilities. Megawatt hours of electricity each treatment sites. year – enough to power 9,000 Further References households. In all, the water supply Queensland Urban Utilities operates For more information please go to the network generates more electricity three cogeneration units at its biggest websites for: than it uses. On the wastewater side, sewage treatment plants at Oxley Creek – Sydney Water (sydneywater.com.au/ Melbourne Water captures biogas and Luggage Point. The state-of-the- SW/water-the-environment/what-we-re- from the waste treatment processes art technology produces up to 50 per doing/energy-management/index.htm); at both treatment plants, and uses it cent of the plants’ electricity needs, to power 40 per cent of the electricity delivering savings of up to $2.5 million a – Melbourne Water (melbournewater. required for treatment processes. The year. They have also unveiled Australia’s com.au/whatwedo/Liveability-and- Western Treatment Plant is on track to first poo-powered car. The car runs environment/energy/Pages/Energy- become energy self-sufficient (utilising on electricity generated from sewage efficiencies-and-renewable-sources.aspx). its own biogas) in 2016/17. As part of at the Oxley Creek Sewage Treatment its continued commitment to reduce Plant in Brisbane’s west. 26.