Partnerships provide a BOOM in green energy projects

A company introducing green energy from wastewater technologies to Australasia is forging partnerships to help companies more easily afford the most sustainable and cost-efficient solutions for their individual site’s needs.

CST Wastewater Solutions - which represents Global Water Engineering (GWE) anaerobic wastewater and green energy solutions in Australia - is partnering with national energy groups and global electricity generator suppliers to tailor build, own, operate and maintain (BOOM) partnerships.

These partnerships package finance, machinery and operational expertise over agreed terms to enhance the long-term affordability of green energy projects, including those that extract biogas (CH₄) from wastewater streams while simultaneously cleaning wastewater to high global discharge standards.

The anaerobic wastewater biogas technologies - which extract methane to generate green electricity or to fuel boilers and other factory equipment - are particularly applicable to food, beverage and agribusiness companies, or any industry that has a biological waste stream or wastewater with high organic carbon or COD (chemical oxygen demand) of natural origin that can be broken down into biogas by anaerobic bacteria.

“The value of a BOOM scheme to finance and implement such installations is that the client doesn’t have to worry about the details or project risk, since they’re provided with an end-to-end service which is highly transparent in terms of pricing and service,” said CST Wastewater Solutions Managing Director Michael Bambridge.

“Companies entering into such a partnership also get a really thorough review performed on their current energy efficiency and billing structure. The hard work is done for them and the risk mainly assumed by skilled and experienced partners with national and international experience in energy efficiency and electricity generation.”

Similar global expertise is embodied in the GWE anaerobic technologies of which more than 300 have been completed worldwide, including more than 70 that generate biogas to replace fossil fuels in fuelling boilers and processing plant or to sell back to the electricity grid. In major plants, installations typically pay for themselves within two years, often less.

“We, as the technology supplier, partner with energy and machinery organisations to develop packaged, integrated energy solutions using renewable biogas for on-site cogeneration or trigeneration,” said Bambridge.

BOOM schemes remove the operational and financial risk of biogas plants from companies interested in the financial and environmental benefits of the technology but who may not have experience in this area.

“Our energy partners, for example, are able to leverage the strengths and experience of major energy organisations that have implemented this type of scheme,” said Bambridge.

“The competitively packaged solution offers the combined experience and expertise of market leaders in their own respective fields to the benefit of clients who have statutory need to treat wastewater to high standards and have the profit potential to use biogas in cogeneration facilities.

“BOOM solutions allow the client to concentrate on their core business while opening the door to proven environmental and financial benefits that provide a permanent competitive edge.”

The GWE technology deployed in Australasia by CST Wastewater solutions is proven at more than 300 food, beverage, agro industry and processing plants in more than 60 countries including Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, China, Europe (including Eastern Europe) and Russia.