By Mikayla van Loon
Yarra Valley Water (YVW) has submitted a proposal to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) for the establishment of a waste to energy facility in Lilydale.
The plan would see organic and food waste unable to be repurposed converted into a biogas which can then power generators and electrical turbines at the already existing water treatment plant on Nelson Road.
Managing director Pat McCafferty said the electricity generated by the anaerobic digestion system would run the YVW site, with excess power being returned to the grid as renewable energy.
With a target of getting to net zero emissions by 2025, Mr McCafferty said YVW is working toward the best sustainable practices to benefit both the organisation and the broader community.
“It’s to do with the energy footprint of the sewage treatment plant. It’s one of our larger energy consuming facilities or assets and we’ve already got a food waste energy plant out in the north, there’s a lot of organic waste going through that,” he said.
“So it’s a combination of the fact that there isn’t a facility like this in the east and we know there’s a hell of a lot of organic waste going to landfill across Melbourne.”
Establishing the first waste to energy plant in Wollert, Mr McCafferty said it is already producing 23 per cent of Yarra Valley Water’s entire energy needs, with the Lilydale facility expected to provide another 25 per cent.
“We’ve got a whole bunch of different solar arrays and installations across our service area, a combination of all of those is how we’re getting down to zero,” he said.
“It’s also about the circular economy. So how do we take waste that was going to generate greenhouse gases in the environment and repurpose it.”
The EPA has confirmed it is assessing a development licence submitted by YVW and is inviting community feedback regarding the project until 8 March.
Mr McCafferty said this is the next stage in the process and brings YVW one step closer to approval.
From a community survey YVW conducted throughout 2022, about 70 per cent of the people were neutral, 20 per cent positive and about 10 per cent were negative.
“Like most big infrastructure projects people are concerned about disruption but the main thing we’re getting is [about] the visual design, what’s it going to look like.
“We’ve had a lot of requests for trees to enhance the visual impact in the local environment, there’s a lot of good feedback coming through about looking after the native flora and fauna, which we’re absolutely committed to, and you get some concerns about odour.
“That’s part of why the EPA needs to do their process, what conditions they put on, the plan around odour control and all of those sorts of things.”
Overall, Mr McCafferty said the local community has been rather enthusiastic about the recycling practices set to take place.
Should YVW receive approval from the EPA and the planning minister, it is expected construction of the facility will get underway later this year, with it to be operational by the end of 2024.
Residents can provide feedback to the EPA via www.engage.vic.gov.au/yarra-valley-water-corporation
