Waste to Energy: Why Does It Work Overseas but Struggle in Australia?

Waste-to-energy isn't a new idea. Across Europe and Asia, it's a well-established part of waste management, helping countries reduce landfill while generating electricity and heat from waste that would otherwise be buried.

Australia, however, has taken a very different approach. With abundant land available, landfill has remained the dominant solution. As a result, waste-to-energy projects have struggled to gain the same ground seen overseas.

Overseas success stories

Thousands of waste-to-energy facilities are operating around the world, demonstrating that the technology is both mature and capable of operating safely in densely populated cities.

In Copenhagen, Amager Bakke has redefined what a waste-to-energy facility can be. Opened in 2017, the combined heat and power plant processes around 560,000 tonnes of waste each year while generating up to 63 MW of electricity and 157 MW of heat. Its roof has even been transformed into a year-round recreation space, operating as a ski slope in winter and an activity park during summer.

Dubai’s Waste Management Centre, completed in 2024, is the world's largest waste-to-energy facility, processing almost 1.9 million tonnes of waste annually and producing 193 MW of electricity.

Even Paris operates two waste-to-energy plants within the city, including one visible from the Eiffel Tower.

These projects demonstrate that waste-to-energy plants can successfully coexist with surrounding communities while producing useful energy.

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Australia is slowly catching up

Australia has only recently begun investing in large-scale waste-to-energy infrastructure.

The Kwinana Energy from Waste facility in Western Australia became the country's first plant when it opened in November 2024. The almost $700 million project processes up to 460,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year, generating around 38 MW of renewable electricity while diverting up to a quarter of Perth's post-recycling waste from landfill.

Queensland's journey has been far less straightforward.

REMONDIS first proposed a waste-to-energy facility at Swanbank in 2018, with the project receiving Coordinated Project Status in 2020. However, after changes to planning rules, the proposal was ultimately deemed unviable, highlighting that community acceptance and planning policy remain significant hurdles for the industry.

Attention has now moved to Bromelton, where Cleanaway has proposed a facility capable of generating enough electricity to power around 105,000 homes and businesses. The project is currently progressing through the approvals process, with a decision expected in late 2026 or early 2027.

Looking beyond waste-to-energy

Not every project focused on reducing emissions follows the traditional waste-to-energy model.

Ampol's Brisbane Renewable Fuels Project is investigating a different pathway by converting feedstocks including used cooking oil, tallow and canola into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel using Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) technology.

Supported by an $8 million grant from ARENA, the $30.2 million Pre-FEED study will assess the feasibility of constructing the facility at Ampol's Lytton Refinery.

If the project proceeds, it would have the capacity to produce at least 450 million litres of renewable fuel each year.

A promising idea, but can it stack up?

HEFA is already the most established sustainable aviation fuel production pathway globally, accounting for around 80% of current SAF production.

Commercially, however, the picture is less certain.

Ampol itself acknowledges that future investment decisions depend on government policy settings and market conditions. While ARENA funding helps move the project through the feasibility stage, long-term viability will rely on policy certainty, reliable feedstock supply and pricing that allows renewable fuels to compete with conventional alternatives.

The bigger question

Australia has no shortage of waste or the technology needed to recover value from it. Overseas experience has shown that waste-to-energy facilities can operate safely, generate reliable energy and reduce reliance on landfill.

The real challenge appears to be less about engineering and more about economics, planning and policy.

Projects like Ampol's Brisbane Renewable Fuels Project and Cleanaway's proposed Bromelton facility suggest we’re turning a corner, but Australia still has a long way to go before waste is viewed as a resource rather than simply something to bury.