Alternative Fuels

Landfill diversion and waste-to-energy has moved to a higher level in South Australia with the commissioning of ResourceCo's new $8 million state-of-the-art facility in Adelaide. The facility is capable of processing up to 800 tonnes per day of construction and demolition waste. The development at Wilkins Road, Wingfield has been integrated into the existing Alternative Fuel Company's facility and is operated by ResourceCo and their Joint Venture partner Adelaide Brighton Cement Limited.

The new facility will enhance the feed material into the Alternative Fuel Company (AFC), which currently produces fuel for Adelaide Brighton's Birkenhead kiln. The enhancement of the feed material is obtained through improved separation, sizing and washing processes of construction and demolition wastes. The improved fuel has less abrasive and inert material, delivering added value to the replacement fuel into the kiln.

The infrastructure at the Wilkins Road facility includes an onsite weighbridge, where incoming material is received and directed into unloading areas. All Mixed Demolition, Commercial & Industrial wastes are directed into these areas then loaded into the Annihilator. The Annihilator is a powerful 1000 kw single-shaft sizing machine that is designed to produce materials to a consistent size prior to screening.

A crucial part of the process is quality assurance. An elevated manual picking station - which accommodates 16 operators - ensures a high level of quality assurance as well as maximum secondary resource recovery of paper, cardboard, brick, concrete, ferrous and non-ferrous metals. The processing at this new facility enables all of this material to be recovered separately.

Understanding the importance of flexibility and toughness, ResourceCo selected proven plant and integrated it into a system that has simplicity and robustness in mind.

ResourceCo have a vision of replacing fossil fuels in cement manufacturing - and ultimately power generation - that will deliver significant environmental and commercial advantages for the future.