The official opening of Rotorua’s new Waste 2 Gold pilot plant could see huge economic and environmental benefits for the district and the rest of New Zealand.
The opening of the plant, at the Rotorua District Council’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, which was held yesterday, was a milestone event in a research project involving Crown Research Institute Scion and the council, who joined forces in 2008 to develop a new approach to the management of organic waste.
The pilot plant will test an innovative process that converts biosolid waste into valuable chemical products.
It will trial the process to determine if the technology can work at a full commercial scale.
The plant uses thermal deconstruction to “cook” biosolids (sewage sludge) and break it down into re-useable chemicals and a range of by-products. These could be used for fertilisers or in the production of bioplastics and biofuels.
Scion chief executive Dr Warren Parker said the process could revolutionise the way sewage biosolids were managed. “Soon we’ll be able to really see how well the technology can work outside the laboratory.”
Rotorua District Council chief executive Peter Guerin said if successful a full-scale plant could initially remove thousands of tonnes of biosolid waste going to landfill each year and, in terms of cost reduction and value creation, benefit the community by about $4 million a year.
The pilot plant will initially operate for 12 months.
Depending on the results, the next stage would involve building a demonstration plant, sized to handle all of the biosolids from Rotorua’s Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Minister for the Environment Dr Nick Smith said it was the largest single project funded through the Waste Minimisation Fund and was an excellent example of finding solutions for common waste problems that could also deliver economic benefits.
Waste 2 Gold project science leader Dr Daniel Gapes said the project was still at least two years away from a full scale, commercial-sized plant. “We are taking small steps but big steps in our understanding. The goal of this project is technological and economic viability … we are still doing lab work and building the fermentation plant, but it’s all seriously exciting,” Dr Gapes said.
The pilot plant was built in Hamilton by Longveld Engineering and the technical specification was prepared by Rotorua-based consulting engineers Allan Estcourt Limited.
