Over the last 12 months, the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) topic has been hotting up in Australia – so where are we now in 2020? Our partner UNTHA’s director of global business development, Gary Moore, looks at how much has changed for WtE and shares his hopes for the future of the industry…
At the end of February, waste, recycling and alternative fuel production specialists in Australia were invited to get up close to UNTHA’s globally acclaimed XR mobil-e shredder, at our VIP demo day in Melbourne.
The interactive session saw 30 delegates attend, as Gary occupied centre stage to talk about the capabilities and technical benefits of the XR3000. The visitors were then taken for a tour of the machine itself before witnessing a live demonstration of the shredder tackling wood waste, tyres, PEF and plastic.
How is WtE progressing down under?
Gary commented: “WtE is still a relatively new industry in Australia, so it’s implementation is very much in the early stages.
“That said, last October, we attended the country’s AWRE event where I delivered a seminar on refuse derived fuels (RDF) and profess engineered fuels (PEF), and the role they could play in Australia’s future resources strategy – and lots has happened in the sector since then.”
Focus enviro’s director, Robbie McKernan, added: “Year on year, we’re seeing a rise in the manufacture of PEF and, above all, a growing number of companies are becoming interested in finding out more about alternative fuel production. This was also confirmed by the high level of interest at our demo day.
“This increase in appetite signals that organisations are recognising that it’s time for change and that this can be achieved by harnessing the value and energy of the country’s resources – using the right technology.”
What are UNTHA and Focus Enviro doing to help change the Australian landscape?
Together with UNTHA, the Focus Enviro team has been attending the country’s leading WtE and recycling expos – such as AWRE and AEIN’s Waste-to-Energy Forum – in a bid to chat face-to-face with the sector’s waste and recycling professionals.
Gary added: “Communication is a big part of how we’ve been helping to alter the current landscape. Attending events – and holding keynote speaker slots – has enabled us to get the word out there about UNTHA and the world-leading solutions we provide.
“Sharing our knowledge and European project examples with the Australian audience has also helped them to realise that developing the industry from a standing start is possible. Yes, it comes with its challenges, but these have already been faced and overcome in other parts of the world – so it’s really just recognising and learning from them.”
In addition to our face-to-face efforts, we’re also continuing with our wider marketing activity in Australia – writing blogs and featuring within the country’s key industry publications – to ensure we’re regularly getting our message, and advice, across.
What are UNTHA and Focus Enviro’s hopes for the future of WtE in Australia?
“We hope that we continue to see the progressive growth of the industry – just as we have done in the UK and Europe”, explained Gary.
“However, the only way to create change is by drawing upon existing, tried-and-tested examples and demonstrating the positive impact of operating in a more circular way.
“To do this, we need to continue to interact with the sector’s experts and show them first-hand how effectively our machines work at converting residual waste into a valuable fuel.”
Gary concluded: “There’s no doubting that it’s an interesting time for the Australian market, and we look forward to helping the industry increase awareness and drive change forward, over the coming months.”
Stay tuned for further updates…
If you have any questions about the article, or find out more about WtE in Australia, please contact Robbie McKernan via robbie@focusenviro.com.au or 047 822 0088.