ReOrganic Energy Swanbank

Renewable distributed generation
Location: Ipswich, QLD

The site

The project is located at the Swanbank Landfill, Queensland, approximately 40 kilometres south-west of Brisbane. Thiess Services operates the landfill which is a former coal mine.

Fuel source and supply

Fuel is supplied from a landfill gas extraction system installed within the landfill, and also from specifically engineered bio-cells installed on site. Waste is placed within the bio-cells and undertakes a rapid decomposition process to enhance the timeframe within which the gas is generated. This gas is extracted and combined with gas from the landfill. A dedicated pipeline has been installed over 1.5 kilometres to supply the gas to the adjacent CS Energy Swanbank B Coal Fired Power Station, where it is utilised to displace fossil fuel.

Plant equipment and operation

The plant consists of a state-of-the-art Gas Conditioning Plant which dries, conditions and delivers the gas. The plant operates 24 hours per day, and is computer controlled from a remote location using a specifically designed software application.

Energy purchase and supply

Gas is supplied at low pressure to the coal-fi red power station. The project is a renewable energy generator under the Renewable Energy (Electricity)Act and is eligible to produce Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). The RECs are shared between the Joint Venture and CS Energy.

Environmental impact

The total energy and environmental benefits of this project in its first year of operation include the generation of approximately 15,000 MWh of renewable energy, enough to power 3000 homes, and the reduction of 77,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions. This is equivalent, per annum, to the removal of 18,300 cars from the road or the planting of 7900 hectares of trees.

Outside support

The ReOrganic Energy project at Swanbank is the result of a successful application by the partners to the Australian Greenhouse Office under the Renewable Energy Commercialisation Program (Round 3), which has seen funding assistance of $1 million.