In Australia, Germany-headed biogas plant manufacturer Weltec Biopower GmbH (WELTEC) is supporting Yarra Valley Water Corporation (YVW) with the refurbishment of its 1 MW biogas plant located in the north of Melbourne, Victoria (VIC).
Yarra Valley Water Corporation (YVW) is one of Australia’s largest water and wastewater companies. Since the completion of the waste and food waste plant by WELTEC and its project partner in 2017, YVW’s Aurora Treatment Plant has been energy self-sufficient.
To be able to operate the plant profitably into the future, it has been undergoing a technical modernization including biological service planned for August 2024. The work of the local team is being supported by WELTEC on-site.
The output of the plant, which has two 530-kW combined heat and power (CHP) units, covers the energy requirements of the biogas plant. The electricity generated can power both the biogas facility and the sewage treatment plant, with excess power exported to the electricity grid.
Award-winning plant
The plant has a processing capacity of 33,000 tonnes of organic waste from food processors and restaurants to generate around 7.5 GWh of energy per year. Accepted organic waste includes fats, oils, brewery and dairy residues, fruit, and vegetables which are fed into the stainless steel containers.
The plant has already won prestigious awards for its technology. These include the Premier’s Sustainability Award for leading innovation and practice in Victoria and the Banksia Award for Leading in Circular Economy.
The maintenance work will begin with emptying the tanks. In addition, the roofs of the two 3,573 m3 stainless steel fermenters and internal plant components such as the agitator technology will be replaced.
The plant will then be commissioned and operational management will be secured. The digester contents will be temporarily stored in the storage tank and material can be filled back into the tanks after the refurbishment so the plant can be up and running quickly.
This saves resources and costs. In addition, it is easier to restart the biological process when the fermented material is immediately available.
Last but not least, the processes also comply with occupational safety requirements, which are a high priority in Australia especially when emptying and filling the tanks. WELTEC will also provide on-site staff training.
Weltec Biopower has been a valued partner in our successful journey with our Wollert Facility. We value their commitment to safety and quality and have leveraged their expertise in mechanical and biological consulting over the lifespan of our facility, said Stephanie Salinas, Manager of Waste to Energy Services at YVW.
With more than 400 biogas plants planned and built worldwide and a strong service department, WELTEC has the necessary level of expertise for such modernizations.
This experience is also valued Down Under to ensure that the plant operation remains flexible and continues to live up to its reputation as one of Australia’s most innovative biogas projects in the future.
WELTEC can look back on extensive experience with such complex refurbishment projects. We are delighted that we have been able to enjoy the trust of our customers over such a long period of time, ended Vladimir Bogatov, Area Sales Manager Asia Pacific at WELTEC.
