31 March 2009

Leading Sydney recycling company WSN Environmental Solutions this week has exported surplus green power from household rubbish at its new waste processing facility in South-West Sydney, to the NSW Energy Grid for the first time.

WSN is currently in the final stages of its commissioning period for its Ecolibrium Mixed Waste Facility at the Macarthur Resource Recovery Park at Narellan.

The Park is currently generating enough renewable energy to power its own operations for extended periods. It will export surplus power to the NSW Energy Grid, equivalent to powering 1,700 homes, when it starts operating at full capacity in late April.  

WSN Environmental Solutions CEO Ken Kanofski said the Macarthur Resource Recovery Park demonstrates that the waste sector can make a real contribution to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

“Although the waste sector makes up about three per cent of national emissions, new technologies like these have the potential to deliver a greenhouse abatement of up to seven per cent of national emissions,” Mr Kanofski said.

“This technology demonstrates that the waste industry can punch above its weight in the fight against climate change.”

The Park will recover resources like plastic, metal and cardboard from household rubbish and aims to capture 100 per cent of greenhouse gases from the waste. It will avoid greenhouse gas emissions equal to taking 8,000 average cars off the road for a year, when compared with a highly engineered landfill that captures greenhouse gases from waste.

WSN’s network of sites is currently exporting enough green energy to the NSW Energy Grid to power 36,000 homes. The greenhouse gas savings are equivalent to taking 378,000 average cars off the road for a year.

By 2014, WSN sites will be exporting enough green energy to the grid to power 40,000 homes.

Click below for more information about:
What Happens at the Macarthur Resource Recovery Park
Waste and Climate Change
Waste Technologies