subject: Tender Process For Bio-waste To Energy Facility, Bendigo [print this page] The Tender Process for a for Bio-Waste to Energy Facility in Bendigo has kicked off with invites for detailed Expressions of Interest to provide technology for a potential stand alone commercially viable bio-waste to energy facility to process municipal and commercial / industrial organic waste streams.
The City of Greater Bendigo is responsible for the landfill operation at Eaglehawk that receives a diversity of waste, including organic waste streams from various sources. These sources include kerbside and litter bin collections (collection varies from daily to weekly across the municipality), commercial and industrial waste from businesses such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals / nursing homes, etc, plus green waste delivered directly to the landfill by contractors and the general public.
In 2009/10, the City collected 28,345 tonnes of kerbside and litter bins' waste with an estimated 52% plus organic material including green waste, food waste and other putrescible waste such as sanitary / hygiene products. An audit undertaken in June 2010 of material collected from kerbside collections (sample size of 2.776 tonnes) contained 32.9% greenwaste portion. No current data was available on the putrescible waste portion, however a 2008 bin audit' indicated that approximately 26% of material was food waste, contaminated food packaging and sanitary / hygiene products.
The volume of green waste going directly to the Eaglehawk landfill from all sources excluding kerbside collections was estimated to be in excess of 4,000 tonnes. This volume is expected to increase subject to a return to normal rainfall conditions' post the drought conditions experienced over the past 10 years.
The Bendigo Manufacturing Group, a key industry Advisory Group to City of Greater Bendigo's Economic Development Unit (EDU) on industrial matters, recommended the investigation of opportunities to address waste related issues for industry. EDU also undertook a broad level investigation into a range of technologies to handle specific waste resource streams. The initial focus of these investigations was on addressing organic-based waste resources that achieved the following goals:
A need to ensure downward pressure on waste disposal prices for industry;
A minimum requirement to significantly reduce the current volume of organics going to landfill;
To provide a waste processing facility that enhances the regional poultry industry's future bio-security practices;
Utilise waste resources as an opportunity to value-add and / or develop by-products from the creation of a new paradigm in waste resource processing; and
A motivation to assist the development of commercially sustainable business opportunities without a need for recurrent public funding.
The next step in this Tender Process is to identify if any suitable current technology is available to deliver the goals as stated above via the detailed Expressions of Interest.
