New landfill power plant at Gosnells opened

30/9/04
Western Australia's newest landfill power station - generating electricity from household rubbish - has been officially opened today by Energy Minister Eric Ripper.
Mr Ripper said the power station, at the Kelvin Road Landfill site in Gosnells, used landfill gas, primarily methane, to generate clean, environmentally friendly electricity for Western Australian energy consumers.
The Australian Gas Light Company (AGL), which built and owned the plant, also operated the facility.
"The plant will generate enough electricity to supply about 3,000 homes annually," the Minister said.
It is anticipated that the power station will deliver greenhouse gas savings of about 87,600 tonnes per year at full output through displacing fossil fuel-based electricity generation, by capturing and converting methane from the landfill.
The project is supported by the City of Gosnells' Corporate Greenhouse Action Plan, which was developed through its participation in the Cities for Climate Protection program, and the council's Environmental Management Plan 2001.
"It is encouraging to see councils such as the City of Gosnells demonstrating their commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions," Mr Ripper said.
"This project also proves the strength of WA's growing renewable energy industry and its potential for the future."
AGL has also developed another landfill gas power station at Millar Road, Rockingham and has worked in partnership with Melbourne Water to produce renewable energy at the Werribee Sewerage Treatment Plant and several other landfill gas installations in Australia.
The Minister said the Kelvin Road Landfill power station represented another real and practical step in WA's fight against harmful greenhouse gas emissions.
"Using methane gas to generate electricity, rather than allowing it to escape into the atmosphere, turns a potential environmental problem into a socially useful product," Mr Ripper said.
"The WA Greenhouse Strategy commits the State Government to purchasing the equivalent of five per cent of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2006-07. It is encouraging to see that local governments are also investing in the renewable energy sector which has a thriving, diverse and innovative future."
Minister's office: 9222 8788