Tenders invited for Perth's resource recovery facility

The Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC) — a local government working on behalf of six member councils located in Perth’s eastern suburbs — has released its call for tenders for a new resource recovery facility (RRF) for the region.

The RRF would use thermal, chemical and/or biological means to recover usable materials and/or energy from household waste, diverting 70–90% of waste (by volume) from landfill. The project received environmental approval in 2014, but the EMRC opted to put the project on hold while the local government reform process was underway.

EMRC Chairman Cr David Färdig described the facility as “a crucial component of EMRC’s integrated plan for sustainable waste management in Perth’s Eastern Region”. He said the council is now ready to move the project forward, albeit under slightly different circumstances.

In 2014, the EMRC envisaged that the RRF would be owned by EMRC, be built at Red Hill Waste Management Facility, use gasification or anaerobic digestion technologies and process municipal solid waste (MSW) collected by member councils of the EMRC —Town of Bassendean, City of Bayswater, City of Belmont, Shire of Kalamunda, Shire of Mundaring and City of Swan.

“During the two-year delay period, the market for alternative waste treatment matured and, as a result, different contract models are now emerging,” Cr Färdig said.

“The EMRC has broadened the scope of the tender to accommodate these advances and ensure that all viable options for the development of this facility are considered through this tender process.”

Additional contract models being considered by the EMRC include a Waste Services Agreement where the facility would be owned and operated by a contractor, and EMRC would be one of a number of waste suppliers to the facility. Cr Färdig explained, “A Waste Services Agreement model introduces different decision points for the project as the tenderers could propose an alternative location, a larger facility, an alternative technology and additional waste streams.”

To view the request for tenders, visit http://www.emrc.org.au/summary-of-request-for-tender.html.