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Fri Oct 12 15:41:10 EDT 2007
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Sewage has $30m stink
By Michael Southwell
A NEW sewage treatment plant which cost WA taxpayers $30 million does not
work as promised and has been partly shut.
The Enersludge plant at the Water Corporation's Shenton Park wastewater
facility was touted as a green alternative to existing sewage treatment,
promising to convert dried sewage sludge to oil, which would be used to
power the plant's diesel electricity generators.
But the quality of the oil produced by the plant is too poor to be used in
generators. So the sludge-to-oil converter has been shut after less than
four months of full operation.
Dried sewage pellets produced in the early stages of the process are being
taken by truck to be spread on a farm in Moora as fertiliser.
Some of the partly dried sludge produced by the process is dumped in a
landfill site at Cardup, near Byford.
Trucking the pellets and sludge off-site costs more than $200,000 a year.
In 1996, the Court government accepted a tender from Environmental Solutions
International to supply the Enersludge plant, which was built by Clough
Engineering.
ESI managing director Denis Glennon is a member of the Environmental
Protection Authority. The process was expected to generate savings for the
Water Corporation of about $700,000 a year from power generation and was due
to be operational by 1998.
But technical problems delayed the project and the first stages were not
completed until December 2000, with the sludge-to-oil converter commissioned
in April last year. The converter was not fully operational until July and
was shut by November.
Water Corporation wastewater general manager Keith Cadee admitted the
converter had not produced the expected results but said the rest of the
plant was working as expected. The converter had cost $2.3 million.
Mr Glennon said the problem was that the oil contained high levels of solids
and water, which made it unsuitable for diesel engines.
Work was proceeding on a process to further refine the oil and on finding an
alternative fuel engine which would run on the oil to generate electricity.
He expected these additions to cost no more than $250,000, and said ESI
would fund the extra equipment required.
"This notion of the plant not working is a narrow view. The bulk of the
plant, 90 per cent of it, works and is working," Mr Glennon said.
WA Conservation Council vice-president Sue Graham-Taylor said the Water
Corporation should have kept the community informed about problems with the
sludge-to-oil project, which was widely promoted in its early stages.
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>From The West Australian in Perth,=20
Australia</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.thewest.com.au/20020514/news/perth/tw-news-perth-home-=
sto56343.html">http://www.thewest.com.au/20020514/news/perth/tw-news-pert=
h-home-sto56343.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D4><STRONG>Sewage has $30m=20
stink</STRONG></FONT><BR><BR><EM>By Michael Southwell</EM><BR><BR>A NEW =
sewage=20
treatment plant which cost WA taxpayers $30 million does not work as =
promised=20
and has been partly shut.<BR><BR>The Enersludge plant at the Water =
Corporation's=20
Shenton Park wastewater facility was touted as a green alternative to =
existing=20
sewage treatment, promising to convert dried sewage sludge to oil, which =
would=20
be used to power the plant's diesel electricity generators.<BR><BR>But =
the=20
quality of the oil produced by the plant is too poor to be used in =
generators.=20
So the sludge-to-oil converter has been shut after less than four months =
of full=20
operation.<BR><BR>Dried sewage pellets produced in the early stages of =
the=20
process are being taken by truck to be spread on a farm in Moora as=20
fertiliser.<BR><BR>Some of the partly dried sludge produced by the =
process is=20
dumped in a landfill site at Cardup, near Byford.<BR><BR>Trucking the =
pellets=20
and sludge off-site costs more than $200,000 a year.<BR><BR>In 1996, the =
Court=20
government accepted a tender from Environmental Solutions International =
to=20
supply the Enersludge plant, which was built by Clough =
Engineering.<BR><BR>ESI=20
managing director Denis Glennon is a member of the Environmental =
Protection=20
Authority. The process was expected to generate savings for the Water=20
Corporation of about $700,000 a year from power generation and was due =
to be=20
operational by 1998.<BR><BR>But technical problems delayed the project =
and the=20
first stages were not completed until December 2000, with the =
sludge-to-oil=20
converter commissioned in April last year. The converter was not fully=20
operational until July and was shut by November.<BR><BR>Water =
Corporation=20
wastewater general manager Keith Cadee admitted the converter had not =
produced=20
the expected results but said the rest of the plant was working as =
expected. The=20
converter had cost $2.3 million.<BR><BR>Mr Glennon said the problem was =
that the=20
oil contained high levels of solids and water, which made it unsuitable =
for=20
diesel engines.<BR><BR>Work was proceeding on a process to further =
refine the=20
oil and on finding an alternative fuel engine which would run on the oil =
to=20
generate electricity.<BR><BR>He expected these additions to cost no more =
than=20
$250,000, and said ESI would fund the extra equipment =
required.<BR><BR>"This=20
notion of the plant not working is a narrow view. The bulk of the plant, =
90 per=20
cent of it, works and is working," Mr Glennon said.<BR><BR>WA =
Conservation=20
Council vice-president Sue Graham-Taylor said the Water Corporation =
should have=20
kept the community informed about problems with the sludge-to-oil =
project, which=20
was widely promoted in its early stages.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2> </DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>
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