Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 9, 2022 – Masdar Tribe Australia, a joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company Masdar and infrastructure advisory and development firm Tribe Infrastructure Group, has secured an AUD48.2 million grant from the Australian Government for its Maryvale Energy from Waste (EfW) project.
The funding will be used to construct the landmark EfW facility in the Latrobe Valley, located in the Gippsland region of Victoria. It will be adjacent to Opal Australian Paper’s Maryvale Mill, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of pulp and paper.
Once completed, the facility will recover energy from non-recyclable waste – approximately 325,000 tonnes per annum – that would otherwise go to landfill; it will reuse the extracted energy in the form of steam and electricity to power the mill.
The innovative combined heat and power solution for Maryvale is an Australian first with its high-efficiency solution and unique integration with the Maryvale Mill, enhancing the competitiveness of locally manufactured products.
Commenting on the grant, Edward Nicholas, General Manager of Masdar Tribe Australia, said: “We are pleased to secure the support of the Australian Government in our ambition to launch the country’s most innovative solution for the treatment of residual waste, along with our partners Opal and Veolia. Masdar Tribe Australia is committed to ongoing nationwide efforts to promote a circular economy. The Maryvale Energy from Waste project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 270,000 tonnes per annum and free up enough energy to power the equivalent of 50,000 homes.”
The grant forms part of the Australia’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative, where the government supports innovative efforts to promote local industry.
Aside from driving down emissions, the project is expected to generate more than 500 jobs across Victoria and 450 jobs in Gippsland during construction and more than 60 jobs once operational. Construction will begin in the second half of 2022.
Edward Nicholas added: “We thank the Commonwealth Government for supporting our innovative project, and we are pleased to be advancing such a meaningful partnership with the Gippsland community.”
In 2020, Masdar and Tribe established the joint venture to specifically develop EfW projects in Australia and provide solutions for some of the 27 million tonnes of waste landfilled annually.
The joint venture earlier announced other projects including the East Rockingham Waste to Energy project in Perth, which when completed will process 300,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste per year.
About Tribe Infrastructure Group
Tribe Infrastructure Group is an independent infrastructure financial advisor and project developer headquartered in Abu Dhabi and regulated by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Abu Dhabi Global Market. Tribe’s advisory and development solutions are designed to advance critical infrastructure needs of governments and the private sector, with a focus on providing sustainable solutions that enhance energy security and support the advancement of the communities in which it operates. As at 31 December 2021, Tribe had active advisory mandates with a combined value of projects more than USD11.5 billion and a development project portfolio worth more than USD2 billion.