ONCE among the greatest emitters in Victoria's water industry, Barwon Water has embraced a variety of initiatives in recent years to convert organic waste into renewable energy and soil enhancers for the agricultural industry, and in doing so has re–defined itself as a leader in sustainability both on a local front and also on a national level.
In a region known for its manufacturing and agriculture, Barwon Water is embracing industry powerhouses to create climate solutions, with the water corporation working in partnership with local businesses to find innovative solutions to the shared problem of managing waste.
In the Colac Otway Shire, dairy and lamb are two of the main agricultural industries, serviced respectively by manufacturers Bulla Dairy Foods and processing facility Australian Lamb Company.
It is a collaboration between Barwon Water and these two companies, that has resulted in the development of the Colac Renewable Organics Network, with stage one of the project fully operational and already paying dividends.
Treating water and sewage is an energy–intensive process, and it's an expensive one.
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Barwon Water set about finding a solution that would allow the corporation to filter and process waste to a level acceptable for discharge and disposal, whilst also making use of the resulting by–products, transforming waste from these customers into a clean, green and low–cost energy resource.
With targets set to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy use by 2025 and zero net emissions by 2030, the Colac Renewable Organics Network (RON) is playing a pivotal role in Barwon Water meeting these targets, whilst assisting other companies in the region to reduce their net emissions and carbon footprint.
"Barwon Water's transition to a circular economy and achieving zero waste and zero emissions is vital for driving a thriving and prosperous region," said Shaun Cumming, General Manager, Infrastructure, Technology and Transformation.
It was in December 2021 that stage one of the RON was commissioned, after existing infrastructure at the Colac Water Reclamation Plant had been adapted and made fit for purpose.
Working in collaboration with the Australian Lamb Company (ALC), the project captures the biogas produced by organic waste from the ALC as it breaks down.
This is then converted to renewable energy which is fed back into the system powering the town's water reclamation plant, taking the Colac facility effectively off grid.
Proving a huge success, stage two is currently underway at the Colac RON expanding the reach and capability of the project, with work scheduled to be completed near the end of the year.
Ageing infrastructure is being replaced and treatment capacity enhanced, with the goal to produce more renewable energy – enough to be fed back into the grid, and to heat water which will be used by the ALC in operations.
"It will reduce ALC's natural gas use, contribute to emission reductions and is the first hot water network of its kind in Australia," said Shaun Cumming, General Manager, Infrastructure, Technology and Transformation at Barwon Water.
"The heat transferred via the network will offset the ALC's natural gas consumption from the grid by 21.4 terajoules each year – equivalent to the gas use of 350 households."
The plant will also soon accept additional liquid organic waste from Bulla Dairy Foods, with the resulting biogas converted into 5.5 gigawatt hours of energy – equivalent to the electricity use of over 1000 households.
"Not only does this significantly reduce the high–energy cost of treating sewage and wastewater, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions from the Colac site by 6,300 tonnes per year," Mr Cumming said.
Stage three of the project is currently in concept design, determining the feasibility of expanding infrastructure to process solid organic waste in the Colac region, similar to the facility currently being constructed at Black Rock, Connewarre.
"It would mean not only taking kerbside organic waste collected by Colac Otway Shire, but also solid organic waste from Bulla Dairy foods, ALC, Colac Area Health and wood packing business CMTP," he said.
This organic waste from commercial, industrial, household and wastewater is transformed into biochar, a stable material made via a process of heating the biomass under controlled, low oxygen conditions.
The resulting biochar can be added to soils to improve nutrient efficiency whilst helping to retain moisture whilst simultaneously locking away carbon, which has positive and far–reaching applications for the local agricultural industry.
"Its 'carbon locking' property also sets it apart from composting and conventional soil conditioners and fertilisers," said Mr Cumming.
When the Black Rock facility becomes operational in 2025, the Regional Renewable Organics Network will be capable of processing 40,000 tonnes of organic waste each year into 8,000 tonnes of this high–value nutrient–rich soil enhancer.
"In addition to the biochar, in excess of 2.5 GWh of renewable electricity will also be produced," said Mr Cumming.
"This represents enough electricity to power the equivalent of 500 homes and reduce the region's carbon emissions by between 10,00 and 15,000 tonnes.
"It's the equivalent of taking more than 4,000 cars off the road.
"Using biogas and biochar leads the way in the transition to a circular economy, where materials are continually reused and recycled.
"Barwon Water's Renewable Organics Network initiatives – both the one in Colac and the other in Connewarre – demonstrate the power of collaboration, listening and learning about each other's problems and using collective resources to drive better outcomes for the region's community."
It's thanks to the support of Barwon Water's customers and community, and the partnership the corporation has made with other organisations and businesses in the region, that Barwon Water is not only achieving but exceeding its sustainability goals.
It's a potent example of how adaptation can be a win–win for all involved.
"At a global level, it demonstrates the impact that local solutions can have in contributing to mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
"Collectively local initiatives will have a global impact," said Mr Cummings.
