Tenterfield Shire Council's quest to investigate viable Waste-to-Energy (WtE) options for small councils has been on the backburner of late, with drought, water and Coronavirus concerns taking priority.
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W2E champion Terry Dodds, TSC's chief executive, said with Tenterfield's bore water project now in its final stages there's opportunity to progress the WtE project.
To that end, TSC representatives will be working with a WtE provider to investigate a mobile pyrolysis WtE plant, whose development has been partly funded by the Qld Government.
Should such a plant prove feasible, the WtE group would then approach the Border Regional Organisation and Councils (BROC) for their support on establishing what Mr Dodds referred to as a 'milk run' for the unit along the border.
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BROC member councils include Southern Downs and Goondiwindi on the Queensland side and Inverell, Tenterfield, Gwydir, Balonne and Moree Plains in NSW. Initially three councils will be involved in investigating the feasibility and options.
Each is facing waste issues of varying degrees as space in their facilities dwindles. Tenterfield will soon have to find up to $4.1 million for a new waste cell, even with the longer-term WtE prospect should the business case stack up.
Mr Dodds told a BROC meeting that technology advances are allowing modular WtE plants to be produced to allow smaller councils to stockpile waste until the WtE plant comes to them. The plants can also be converted to produce products other than electricity; for example, steam, diesel extender, and syngas (which can be used to power engines and generate electricity).
He said some new technologies produce zero pollution. Three such plants are currently under construction in Western Australia and others are being considered in both Victoria and Queensland.
TSC is seeking to be the first small rural council in NSW to go down the path of completing an input (waste) study and subsequently a business case for such an endeavour. Mr Dodds said obtaining a grant or some form of assistance to design and test a plant is the ultimate aim but, as has been the case with many regulatory functions involving government, nothing is assured.