Wollongong leading the way in clean, green energy

8,000 Wollongong homes could be running on waste-generated energy in the near future. Dr Sharman Stone, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment and Heritage, congratulated Brightstar Environmental for their innovation in developing the Solid Waste and Energy Recycling Facility (SWERF) at Whyte's Gully near Wollongong.

"The $2 million in Federal Government funding through the Australian Greenhouse Office's Renewable Energy Showcase Program has supported this important new waste-to-energy technology that will generate enough renewable electricity to power 8,000 Wollongong homes".

"Renewable energy is a central plank of the Commonwealth's climate change policy and this new world-first waste processing technology will help show the way in Australia's new renewable energy industry".

"SWERF is an excellent example of how government and industry is working together to meet the challenge of climate change. Instead of using methane gas from landfill to provide raw energy, SWERF generates its own cleaner gas, directly from municipal solid waste (your rubbish) -so you don't need land fills".

The Commonwealth has committed over $380 million to developing and supporting Australia's renewable energy industry.

Item provided courtesy of Science Industry