WA technology to turn Indonesian landfill sites into affordable energy source

27/8/99
Energy technology developed in Western Australia aims to turn massive Indonesian landfill sites into an affordable energy source and cut greenhouse gases at the same time.
Commerce and Trade Minister Hendy Cowan today congratulated Perth-based company Landfill Gas and Power (LGP) and the International Centre for Application of Solar Energy (CASE), which are jointly undertaking a pilot project at Ujung Pandang, capital of South Sulawesi Province.
The $460,000 project will be part funded through the Federal Department of Industry, Science and Resources, International Greenhouse Partnerships Office. The remaining 50 per cent will be met by the project partners.
Mr Cowan said the project will use LGP's technology, which extracts gas from waste landfill sites and converts it to electricity, to power municipal workshops near the site. He said the technologies had been applied successfully at power generation plants in Perth.
He said the landfill site, which serviced Ujung Padang's 1.5 million population, generated greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 62,000 tonnes per year of carbon dioxide.
"This project has the potential to eliminate most of those emissions and if the pilot project is successful, the partners plan to supply energy to the city's main grid," the Minister said.
"If the technology proves viable, it could be put to use in sites all over Indonesia."
Mr Cowan said the project was an important opportunity for WA to demonstrate its capacity to provide appropriate technology and environmental management solutions for developing countries.
The State Government had established CASE in 1995 to promote the application of Western Australian renewable energy technologies overseas. Through linkages with the United Nations Industry Development Office, CASE has a special emphasis on technologies which can be applied in developing countries.

In addition the WA Government's Trade Office in Surabaya had played a key role in facilitating negotiations to enable the project to proceed.

Media contact: Peter Jackson (Minister's office) 9222 9595
For further information :
CASE
Mr Ken Butler
General Manager, Products and Technology
Phone: 9321 7600
Mobile: 0418 917 328
Ms Tanya Cooper
Marketing Coordinator
Phone: 9321 7600
Mobile: 041 226 0876