Greenhill Energy has announced it plans to build Australia’s first fully integrated facility to convert landfill and sustainable biomass into fertilisers, synthetic fuels, and green hydrogen.
Greenhill Energy has secured 20ha of land at Tailem Bend in South Australia’s Murraylands for the $425 million biomass processing facility, named The Riverbend Energy Hub.
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Greenhill Energy executive managing director Nicholas Mumford said the facility, at full capacity, is expected to divert up to 200,000 tonnes of waste from landfill within five years, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding release of environmentally harmful methane.
“We have been granted state government crown sponsorship across the project and, pending approvals, 2025 will see the construction of a singular gasifier, in our first phase,” Mumford said.
“This will be able to process up to 60,000 tonnes of dry biomass or waste per year, which is around 1,500 fully loaded semi-trailer trucks.
“Riverbend Energy Hub’s stage one will also include an integrated power plant that will be able to provide firm power into the wholesale electricity market, and in turn, support further development of intermittent renewable energy generation types.
“We estimate the project will create around 300 jobs, during construction. Once established and operating at full scale it is estimated there will be around 50 to 100 direct jobs, and no doubt further indirect jobs through sustainable biomass development and the like.”
Mumford said the project is backed by a portfolio of early-stage private investors and significant industry partnerships.
“While we are already working through multiple discussions, the door is always open to work with like-minded and astute investors to assist with moving through the approvals and construction phase of Stage 1 of the hub, with potential for first market power in 2025,” he said.
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“This will help us realise our company vision for Australia to ultimately achieve zero waste going to landfill. We know the community expects that landfill should be the last resort for household and industry waste, with higher levels of diversion, resource re-use and recycling—and that’s the business we are in.”
Greenhill will look to replicate the hub blueprint at other sites across Australia and globally in the future.
