South East Regional Biofactory Concept Design

The South East (SE) Regional Biofactory envisions a sustainable wastewater treatment plant that actively contributes towards creating a regional circular economy, balancing resource recovery and sustainable energy use with best outcomes for customers and the community. It also aims to support the Australian government’s Circular Economy (CE) framework and Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy in purchasing goods and services that are environmentally friendly, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote sustainability (Engineers Australia Create 2024). This sustainable approach may include onsite power generation and low energy consumption, low greenhouse gas (GHG) emission liquid stream and biosolids treatment and contaminant reduction (e.g. PFAS) as well as the potential recovery of products, such as Phosphorus from side stream, biochar from the biosolids, and for future co-location of supporting processes of organic waste digestion for energy production and also a highly treated (low salinity) feedstock for Hydrogen Production and/or other industrial uses (e.g. cooling towers, plant breeding facilities etc). The scope of this project is to develop a Concept Design and associated P50 Cost Estimate Class 4 for the SE Regional Biofactory.