The Jemena Biomethane Injection Plant, which forms part of the Sydney Water Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) Treatment Plant at Malabar, New South Wales, has won the SCI Australia 2025 Plant of the Year Award.
Tri-Tech Chemical Company also received a highly commended citation for its commitment to green chemistry through the development and manufacture of chemicals that replace petrochemicals and other non-sustainable compounds at their Sunshine West, Victoria, facility.
Suzie Jakobovits, Jemena’s general manager renewable gas, said Jemena is thrilled the SCI has recognised the Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant for the role it plays in Australia’s decarbonisation efforts.
“We’re very proud of the work we are doing with Sydney Water at the Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant where we are demonstrating the potential for renewable gas to play a role in Australia's energy transition,” Jakobovits said.
The Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant is helping to lift awareness of the importance of biomethane to Australia’s energy transition. “The benefit of biomethane is that it can be used in the same appliances and within existing infrastructure as natural gas, so there is no need for costly appliance changes or infrastructure build outs,” Jakobovits said.
The Sydney Water Malabar WRRF is in the Malabar Headland National Park and is Sydney Water’s largest wastewater treatment plant with an average daily discharge of almost 500 ML and treats around 40% of Sydney’s sewage collected from a large area of the metropolis. Treated effluent is discharged to sea via diffusers along a 3.7 km submerged pipeline.
To promote a circular economy, biosolids generated from the anaerobic digesters are dewatered and utilised for various agricultural purposes, including soil conditioning, forestry applications and for mine site rehabilitation. The Malabar operation is designed to have minimal adverse impact on the local community. The site has been beautified through the planting of trees, lawns and gardens. Much of the treatment equipment, like the raw sewage pumps, screening and filtration equipment and the anaerobic digestors, is located underground and is invisible to passers-by.
Tri-Tech Chemical Company is an Australian based chemical company servicing clients locally and globally in the mining, agricultural chemical, construction chemical and lubricant markets. Over 40 years the company has developed its manufacturing capabilities to provide customers with a range of quality products based on chemical reactions, including esters, sulfonates, succinates, and many other organic salts.
Tri-Tech is committed to social, economic, and environmental sustainability across all facets of their business. “We strive to minimise our impact on the environment wherever possible, maximising the effective use of natural resources available, reducing consumption of energy and water, and minimising waste generation,” said Fiona Holland, Tri-Tech’s CEO. A prime example is canola-based chemistry, now a significant market due to the shift from mineral and palm oils to more sustainable plant-based products.
The Plant of the Year Award was established in 1965 to recognise significant contributions in Australia to profitable and sustainable manufacturing operations, including operational, scientific and technology aspects.
For more information on SCI Australia, visit its page on the SCI website.
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