About Us

Kwinana Energy Recovery (KER) is a practical solution to significant community challenges:

1. Disposing of non-recyclable waste away from landfill
2. Providing additional secure baseload renewable power

Located in the heart of the Kwinana Industrial Area, south of Perth, Kwinana Energy Recovery will use world-class technologies to process 460,000 tonnes per year of residual non-recyclable waste, significantly reducing CO2 emissions and delivering 38MW of baseload electricity to the grid. These outcomes are the equivalent of taking 85,000 cars off Perth’s roads and powering 50,000 Perth households every year.

KER will receive non-recyclable waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill, occupying valuable productive land and producing a range of harmful greenhouse gases. KER will use tried and tested moving grate combustion technology already operational in more than 2,000 similar energy recovery facilities around the world.

KER believes energy recovery can act as an essential and integral part of a larger urban non-recyclable waste management strategies and systems, as the process of Recovery complements the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse & Recycling) that underpin most modern non-recyclable waste management strategies.

Once fully commissioned, Kwinana Energy Recovery will not only process non-recyclable waste for energy recovery, it will produce ash by-products which are used internationally for construction materials, and recover over 6,000 tonnes per year of recyclable metals not normally recovered by other means.

As Australia’s first Energy Recovery, we are leading the way in removing harmful and toxic waste from landfill.

Objectives

Contribute to zero waste landfill

Kwinana Energy Recovery will develop markets for ash as a component of construction materials, already commonly used in Europe, UK and Japan. The process also recovers metals for recycling. This supports government’s ambitions for landfill diversion targets.

Maximising renewable electricity generation

A lifecycle greenhouse gas assessment for the project estimates that potential net reduction in overall carbon emissions will be 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. This independent assessment factors in reductions in landfill gas emissions and other offsets. This is achieved through replacement fossil fuel electricity generation, recovery of recycle metals and the production of alternative construction materials.

Be a benchmark for sustainable waste management

Providing a national benchmark for sustainable waste management and take a leadership role in the development of important energy recovery initiatives.

Removing 460,000 tonnes pa of waste from landfill

Establishing a long-term, reliable waste management and renewable energy generation service to the Western Australian community, which is complementary, informs and encourages other waste management practices such as recycling and composting.

Engage community and local government

Engaging with local communities and governments to raise awareness and drive improvements in waste source separation and further improve all forms of recycling.

Provide local benefits and synergies

Provide local benefits and synergies such as directing electricity back into the local grid and distributing recovered by-products for use by neighbouring manufacturing companies in the Kwinana Industrial Area, Henderson and Fremantle Port zones.

Creating new jobs and skills

Creating and maintaining new jobs, Kwinana Energy Recovery will create more than 800 roles during construction and 40 long-term jobs once operational. As the first energy recovery facility in Australia, the construction of this project will create a new skill set for the local job market.

Acciona

ACCIONA is a global leader in renewable energy and infrastructure solutions. With a commitment to economic, environmental, and social progress, ACCIONA actively drives the transition towards a low-carbon economy and is dedicated to contributing to a sustainable future in Australia and New Zealand.

ACCIONA aims to contribute to Australia and New Zealand’s sustainable development through their projects and the positive impact they have on people and the planet.

Keppel Seghers

Keppel Seghers will provide to the facility, the core equipment, design, and technical services for the plant’s furnace, boiler and flue gas treatment. The facility will feature Keppel Seghers’ air-cooled grate and vertical boiler, which are designed to achieve efficient energy recovery and operational reliability.

Veolia

Veolia Australia and New Zealand (Veolia) is the region’s environmental solutions organisation with specific capabilities across water and wastewater treatment, energy management, waste and resource recovery services, and industrial cleaning and facilities maintenance services. Veolia employs 4000 employees and operates across more than 240 locations within the region. Veolia operates over 60 energy recovery facilities around the globe.

Kwinana Energy Recovery is built and owned by Spanish infrastructure and renewable energy company ACCIONA, with the development and operations supported by technology provider Keppel Seghers,and waste management company Veolia.