Rubbish to Power: Plant Set to Fire Up Maryvale Paper Mill

Rubbish to Power - Victoria's First Waste-to-Energy Plant Set to Fire Up Maryvale Paper Mill

Victoria is about to hit a major milestone in tackling waste management with its first-ever waste-to-energy plant at the Maryvale Paper Mill in the Latrobe Valley. The clever bit?

It turns everyday rubbish into power that can run the mill and help power Victorian homes.

What’s All the Fuss About?

This isn’t your average recycling centre. The new facility, built through teamwork between Veolia Australia, Opal Australian Paper, and Masdar Tribe Australia, is set to be a game-changer in how we deal with our rubbish.

Instead of chucking waste into a landfill, this plant will turn it into something useful – power. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone: less rubbish in our tips and more renewable energy for Victoria.

The Good Stuff for Our Community

Here’s what this means for locals and the wider Victorian community:

Heaps of jobs: Over 500 workers are needed during construction, plus 455 ongoing jobs once it’s up and running
Less waste in our tips: About 270,000 tonnes of rubbish will be turned into energy each year
Cleaner air: It’s like taking 50,000 cars off our roads in terms of reducing greenhouse gases
Power for the paper mill: The plant will create steam and electricity to keep the mill running

Making Sure It’s Safe and Proper

The plant has jumped through all the right hoops to get the thumbs up from the authorities. It’s the first facility of its kind to get a special licence under Victoria’s new waste-to-energy rules, and it has to follow strict environmental guidelines set by the EPA Victoria.

A Long-Term Win for Everyone

Nine local councils have signed up to send their rubbish to the facility for the next 25 years. This means:

A reliable way to deal with household waste
Less reliance on landfills
Better value for ratepayers
A more sustainable future for our kids

Keeping Everyone in the Loop

The team behind the project has set up an information centre where locals can drop in and learn more about what’s happening. They’re keen to keep everyone informed and answer any questions the community might have.

Why This Matters

With Melbourne’s southeast expecting 40% more household waste by 2046, we need smart solutions like this. The Maryvale plant shows how we can turn a problem (too much rubbish) into something useful (power for homes and businesses).

This isn’t just about getting rid of rubbish – it’s about being smarter with our resources and creating jobs while we’re at it. As the first plant of its kind in Victoria, it’s setting the pace for how we might handle waste in the future.

For everyday Victorians, this means our rubbish won’t just sit in a tip anymore – it’ll: