Weltec Biopower to refurbishing Melbourne biogas plant

Germany’s Weltec Biopower is assisting Yarra Valley Water with the refurbishment of its 1 MW biogas plant in northern Melbourne, the company announced on August 20.

The plant, equipped with two 530 KW CHP units, generates enough electricity to power both the biogas facility and the adjacent sewage treatment plant, with excess energy exported to the grid.

The plant processes 33,000 tonnes/year of organic waste, sourced from food processors and restaurants, to generate approximately 7.5mn kWh of energy. Accepted waste includes fats, oils, brewery and dairy residues, and fruit and vegetables, which are fed into stainless steel containers.

As part of the refurbishment, the tanks will first be completely emptied. The roofs of the two stainless steel fermenters and internal components, such as the agitator technology, will be replaced. Following this, the plant will be recommissioned, and operational management will be secured. The digester contents will be temporarily stored in a storage tank, allowing the material to be refilled into the tanks after the refurbishment, enabling a quick restart. This approach saves resources and costs and simplifies the restart of the biological process, as the fermented material will be immediately available.

Additionally, the processes meet occupational safety requirements, a high priority in Australia, particularly when emptying and refilling the tanks. Weltec will also provide on-site staff training.