By 2046 Victoria is forecast to send an estimated 5.9 million tonnes of waste to landfill each year*.

That’s enough to fill almost 5,000 Olympic size swimming pools or 7.8 MCGs, every year. Cleanaway is committed to developing a sustainable alternative to landfill to manage residual waste.

We are excited to showcase this video highlighting the proposed waste-to-energy facility. The facility is designed to divert residual waste that would otherwise be sent to landfill. It will also enable the recovery of energy and valuable materials such as ash and metals. See how it works here!

Residual waste is the general waste we put in the bin after we have reduced, reused and recycled. It also includes residual commercial waste from industrial and demolition sources. Currently, all of Victoria’s residual waste is being sent to landfill for disposal.

Landfills take up vast areas of land and bury useful resources. The Victorian government is taking steps to increase the recovery of materials currently being sent to landfill such as Food Organics and Garden Organics, as part of the Victorian Government’s circular economy policy and plan. However, there will always be waste that cannot be avoided, reused or recycled. For that reason, the Victorian circular economy policy and plan acknowledge the role of waste to energy, for the recovery of energy and other resources from residual waste, through the Victorian Waste to Energy Framework. Cleanaway operates a range of recycling programs and facilities to divert waste from landfill. Through the MERC, Cleanaway is investing in a sustainable alternative to landfills for this residual waste.

*Source: Sustainability Victoria. 2022, September 16. Victoria’s Waste Projection Model.

 

We can divert landfill waste and transform it into valuable sustainable energy

Cities across Europe, America, Japan and many other developed countries use waste-to-energy facilities to recover energy and other valuable resources from material that cannot be recycled and would be destined for landfill. Cleanaway is proposing to build a waste-to-energy facility here in Victoria, using leading-edge technology that is proven.

Scroll down to read more about the proposed Melbourne Energy and Resource Centre (MERC).

Learn more and make a submission

Cleanaway is hosting public information sessions and meetings to provide information about MERC. We would like to hear your thoughts on MERC.

 

What are the benefits of MERC?

Is this safe?

Cleanaway is committed to developing safe facilities across Australia.

Our proposal will use international best practice technology to comply with Environment Protection Authority (EPA) Victoria’s standards for air emissions and the European Industrial Emissions Directive, which is based on decades of experience and safe operating practices.

99.9% of the flue gas produced will be gases common to air, including oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and water vapour. The remaining pollutants will be treated with modern technology to meet stringent emission limits.

We will be publishing air quality monitoring data on our project website on a regular basis.

Learn more about other waste-to-energy facilities overseas.

Where is it proposed?

The proposed location for the Melbourne Energy and Resource Centre (MERC) is 510 Summerhill Road, Wollert, Victoria. Click here to view on Google Maps.

Image: A map showing the location of MERC

 

What will it look like?

We are currently undertaking the technical assessments to inform the design of the MERC. Further details will be shared as it becomes available.

An artist’s impression drawing of the proposed MERC

An artist’s impression drawing of the Visitor and Education Centre as part of the proposed MERC

 

How does it work?

Here are the steps of waste collection and treatment of residual waste.

Read the ‘How does it work’ fact sheet to learn more.

 

Project timeline (indicative)

In mid-2023, Cleanaway submitted the necessary applications for the MERC proposal to the Victorian Government. If the proposal is approved, it will take approximately three to four years to build the facility.

Learn more about the proposal

 

 

Who we are

The project is being delivered by Cleanaway, with technical support from Arup, Ramboll and Tract. An indicative project timeline is outlined below.


Ramboll is recognised as one of the world’s leading waste-to-energy engineering consultants. They have 90 dedicated waste-to-energy project managers and specialists, with in-depth knowledge of processes, world-leading technologies, suppliers and facility operations. Ramboll has designed over 150 waste-to-energy facilities in 45 countries, including Australia’s first facility in Western Australia.

A global leader in waste-to-energy and recovery of resources, Arup is an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists, working across every aspect of the built environment. Together they help our clients solve their most complex challenges – turning ideas into reality as we shape a better world.

Tract is facilitating the planning approvals for MERC. Tract has been a trusted consultant to the development industry and to government for the past 50 years. Our Victorian planning team comprises more than 50 professionals and has experience in all forms of development facilitation, assessment and advocacy, and strategic land use planning
As planners and designers, our charter at Tract is to deliver sustainable and memorable solutions, shaping places for living, leisure and work, and the infrastructure that supports and connects these places.

Latest News

Date Details
25-3-2024
19-3-2024
  • Last Wednesday, we hosted a successful community information session at the Hume Global Learning Centre, with 23 people attended.
  • We look forward to the next session this coming Saturday 23 March in Epping.
04-3-2024
18-9-2023
  • Want to know what the MERC would look like in operation? Cleanaway has created an animated video to show how general waste will be processed in the facility. Watch the video to learn more.
1-5-2023
  • Cleanaway has submitted relevant application documents to the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) and the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP). There will be a public exhibition phase to publish these application documents later in 2023.Updates will be posted on this webpage when available.
30-3-2023
  • First phase of public engagement is now concluded. Thank you for your participation in February 2023. Your feedback and ideas have helped informed the final design of MERC. Don’t worry if you have missed the sessions, there will be more opportunities in the upcoming public exhibition phase.
    Between February and March 2023, we are hosting a series of online information sessions and targeted meetings for community members to learn more about the project.
6-2-2023
  • Between February and March 2023, we are hosting a series of online information sessions and targeted meetings for community members to learn more about the project.
5-12-2022
  • We are ready to share with you about the MERC proposal. Find out more on our website, or ask us any questions. Our team will be engaging with the community in early 2023. Subscribe to our page to receive latest updates.

 

Do you have questions about the proposal?

We welcome all questions and are here to answer them. If you cannot find the answer to your question in our document, or would like to know more about the project, please let us know.

Ask a question

Or call the Project Hotline on (03) 9021 0603

Discussion board

See what questions are important to your community

Questions Our response
HI, Could you give me a clearer indication on the map where this plant will be built. Seems very close to housing and does not explain entry points to the plant. Why this isn’t being built at the wollert tip is another question. Look forward to your response Thank you for your enquiry.

The separate entry points for heavy and light vehicles to the facility will be off Summerhill Road. General waste will be transported by trucks to the waste-to-energy facility via Summerhill Road. Light vehicles (cars etc) will access the site from a dedicated access point to ensure cars and trucks are separated. The location of the site is 510 Summerhill Road. The nearest residential areas are Shenstone Park Precinct, Mickleham, Craigieburn, Epping and Wollert, which are about 1.2 km to 2km away from the site.

There are a few nearby residents living along Summerhill Road. They are aware of the proposal and Cleanaway has been in regular communications with neighbours to brief them on the proposal. We understand your concerns that this may seem close to residents. However finding the right location has been a key consideration for this project.

Cleanaway undertook a diligent assessment of over 200 potential sites in Victoria and determined that this location is suitable due to its direct neighbours, and proximity to residential and industrial neighbours. The facility will take up approximately 24 hectares (Ha) of the overall 82 Ha purchased by Cleanaway. Of this, only around 10 hectares will be buildings, roads and hardstand. The remainder of the land will provide significant buffers. Additionally, we note that there are other buffers already adjoining the site associated with neighbouring activities such as quarries, future sewer treatment works, potential future power station., and existing industrial facilities such as the Brickworks factory. Many waste-to-energy facilities in Europe and Japan have been built at the centre of the city often only a few hundred meters or less away from residential buildings.

Cleanaway has selected this location within an industrial area and away from residential centres. The Wollert landfill is owned and operated privately by another waste company unrelated to Cleanaway.

Hello Just wondering if you are planning a similar project in QLD & if so, what are the potential locations? Regards Thanks for your interest. Cleanaway are in the process of securing a site for a proposed project in Southeast Queensland. More information on this will be provided in the coming months.
Illegal dumping of hard rubbish is, sadly, a common problem in the outer suburbs. Will MERC be accepting this rubbish? We hear your concerns. It’s possible but not that simple. The MERC has a stringent Waste Acceptance Protocol – it only accepts waste that is suitable for energy recovery, rather than recycling; and does not contain materials that are unsuitable for thermal treatment. If the illegally dumped hard waste meets these conditions, and being collected and brought to the MERC, then they can be processed for the recovery of energy and other resources (such as recyclable metals).
There have been many waste fires in Melbourne in the last decade which have resulted in terrible pollution and impacts on waterways. What methods and processes would MERC use to prevent adverse impacts on waterways and the local environment of emergency and unplanned events? Thanks for your question! Our technical team has provided some insights to your question. The MERC will actually help to prevent such fires and their impacts on waterways and the local environment. Those impacts have typically arisen from contaminated firewater runoff resulting from the fighting of fires associated with stockpiles of waste materials, which are often stored outdoors or in warehouses. At the MERC, waste is delivered by truck and deposited in a waste bunker for temporary storage (typically only for a few days). In the waste bunker, the waste is constantly mixed by a grab crane and actively monitored for hot spots. Firewater canons are present in the bunker area to deal with hot spots and extinguish any fires that may occur in the bunker. The waste bunker will be indoors and will have sealed concrete walls and foundations, such that any firewater will be retained within the bunker.