Yarra Valley Water has been awarded $1 million through the Victorian Government’s Waste to Energy – Bioenergy Fund to expand its Lilydale WtE facility.
It will help fund a second generator at the water authority’s food waste to energy facility, expected to be operational in 2024-25.
The Waste to Energy – Bioenergy Fund is providing $10 million in grants to support the development of bioenergy projects and business models that build infrastructure capability and capacity in Victoria’s bioenergy sector.
Pat McCafferty, Yarra Valley Water Managing Director, said investing in technology is vital to help manage an increase in food waste into landfill as Melbourne’s population grows.
“Investing in food waste to energy production is central to our commitment to support Victoria’s transition to a circular economy, reduce waste and minimise our carbon footprint,” McCafferty said.
“Having a second generator will increase the power output of our Lilydale facility, nearly doubling our export to the grid. Another benefit is that we can continue to operate uninterrupted if one generator has any issues.”
Once operational, the Lilydale facility will generate more than 12,900 megawatt hours of electricity per year – about 35 per cent of Yarra Valley Water’s energy needs or enough to power the equivalent of more than 2200 Victorian households. It will also divert about 55,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial food waste from landfill every year.
The funding for the Lilydale facility will help Yarra Valley Water achieve its target of generating 100 per cent of its own energy needs through renewable energy in 2025.
“This funding will play a vital role in expanding our capabilities, allowing us to divert even more food waste from landfill and generate clean energy to power homes and facilities,”Mc Cafferty said. “It’s a win-win solution that supports sustainable practices and helps us make a significant impact on waste reduction.”
In addition to the funding for the Lilydale facility, Yarra Valley Water has been granted an additional $175,000 to enhance the electricity generation infrastructure at its bioenergy facility in Wollert, one of Australia’s largest food waste to energy facilities.
The Waste to Energy – Bioenergy Fund is delivered by Sustainability Victoria under the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy, Recycling Victoria: a new economy. The circular economy policy is part of the Victorian Government’s $515 million investment to deliver the biggest ever transformation of Victoria’s waste and recycling industry.
Twenty-four projects have been funded under this program, with total funding awarded to date of up to $8 million.
For more information, visit: www.ywv.com.au