The challenge
Sydney is growing fast. The population in 2021 is now over 5 million. This is expected to grow to 8 million by the middle of the century, predominantly through urban densification. As Sydney grows, the highly siloed and traditionally centralised linear model of water and waste service provision, where resources are imported into the city and waste exported, will need to change.
A key issue of concern is the generation of organic waste streams, in particular food waste, most of which is currently sent to landfill with associated economic, environmental and social consequences. A potential solution is to capture and treat organic waste products locally, turning them into valuable resources such as energy and nutrient rich soil conditioner.
About the project
This project investigated the feasibility of using anaerobic digestion and various transport methods including vacuum to process food waste and other organic waste materials (i.e. sewage, fats, oils and grease and used cooking oil) on-site to generate biogas as a renewable energy for use on-site; and nutrient rich digestate for beneficial reuse as a soil conditioner.
The research specifically investigated the potential for an anaerobic digestion system at the iconic One Central Park development, in the heart of Sydney. One Central Park has significant potential to incorporate an anaerobic digestion system within its existing water recycling plant facility, and to connect to the site's tri-generation central energy plant.
With 5,300 residents and 1,750 workers inhabiting the overall Central Park site every day, both the residential and commercial components of the site present a significant opportunity for separating and collecting food waste and other organic waste streams as a feedstock for an anaerobic digestion system.
The research has led to further detailed investigations at One Central Park and other potential sites with the ultimate aim of implementing a pilot/demonstration site to showcase the significant potential for local on-site anaerobic digestion in dense urban environments.
Researchers
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Dena Fam
Years
- 2017-2018
Location
- Sydney
Partners
- Flow Systems (now the Altogether Group)
- JLL
- Avac
- Active Research
Wider program
- City of Sydney Innovation Grant
