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What is the Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund: Hazardous Waste Stream?
The Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund: Hazardous Waste Stream is an initiative which aims to support projects that transform hazardous waste into valuable resources.
Background
The Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund: Hazardous Waste Stream is an initiative established to address the challenges posed by hazardous waste materials. Its primary objective is to facilitate the transition towards a circular economy by supporting projects that convert hazardous waste into valuable resources, simultaneously minimizing environmental harm and maximizing economic potential.
Objectives
The objective of the Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund: Hazardous Waste Stream is to support projects that achieve the following outcomes:
- Diversion of wastes from Category B landfill disposal: The fund aims to facilitate projects that effectively divert hazardous wastes from Category B landfill disposal, thereby reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and minimising environmental impact.
- Increased diversion of low-level contaminated soils from landfill disposal: The fund seeks to promote projects that enhance the diversion of low-level contaminated soils from landfill disposal. By finding alternative solutions for these soils, such as treatment or remediation, the fund aims to reduce reliance on landfills and promote sustainable soil management practices.
- Increased recovery of hazardous wastes for reuse, recycling, or energy recovery: The fund supports projects that focus on increasing the recovery of hazardous wastes, ensuring their proper reuse, recycling, or energy recovery. By maximising the value and potential of these wastes, the fund contributes to resource conservation and reduces the need for raw materials extraction.
- Improved management of hazardous wastes for reuse, recycling, or energy recovery: The fund aims to facilitate projects that improve the overall management practices of hazardous wastes, with a focus on their reuse, recycling, or energy recovery. This includes the development of innovative technologies, infrastructure, and processes that enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of waste management.
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Funding
There is no funding cap per project. Total available grant funding for Round 3 is $4,500,000.
Eligible Projects
The Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund: Hazardous Waste Stream provides funding for infrastructure projects focused on the safe management and/or recovery of low-level contaminated soils and reportable priority waste. The following types of projects may be considered for funding:
- Infrastructure Capital Costs: Funding can be provided for the purchase, installation, and commissioning of equipment necessary for the project.
- Pre-construction Activities: Funding may cover pre-construction activities directly associated with the installation of new equipment, such as site clearing, earthworks, or site accessibility works.
- Modification of Buildings: Funding can be used for modifying existing buildings to accommodate the new equipment required for the project.
To be considered for funding, projects must meet the following criteria:
- Location: Projects must be located in Victoria.
- Eligibility: Projects must meet the eligibility criteria set forth by the funding program.
- Timelines: Projects must adhere to the funding program timelines.
- Waste Stream Classification: Projects must manage waste streams classified as Reportable priority waste listed under Schedule 5—Waste classification of the Environmental Protection Regulations 2021.
- Regulatory Compliance: Projects must meet regulatory or planning requirements, including compliance with regulations, regulatory notices, or orders.
- Need for Government Support: Projects must demonstrate a need for Victorian government support.
- Commissioning and Operation: Projects must be commissioned and operational by 30 March 2024.
Projects must align with one or more of the following fund outcomes and associated project types:
a. Diversion of Wastes from Category B Landfill Disposal:
- Treatment technologies enabling recovery and reuse, including waste-to-energy (WtE) and process-derived fuel.
- Treatment reducing contamination to achieve Category C disposal requirements.
b. Increased Diversion of Low-Level Contaminated Soils from Landfill Disposal:
- Treatment enabling reuse, either on or off-site.
- Mobile and relocatable treatment equipment.
- Treatment at the site of generation to reduce Category C to Category D for on-site containment under permit.
- Technologies supporting the containment of Category D soils at the generation site, including short-term storage facilities for de-watering, categorization, and volume aggregation.
c. Increased Recovery of Hazardous Wastes for Reuse, Recycling, or Energy Recovery:
- Collection, short-term storage, and recovery or treatment facilities.
- Expansion, upgrade, or new infrastructure to achieve increased recovery of hazardous wastes for reuse, recycling, waste-to-energy, or process-derived fuels.
- Infrastructure to manage feedstock or market fluctuations, improve end product quality, expand market offerings, or reduce reliance on interstate infrastructure.
d. Improved Management of Hazardous Wastes for Reuse, Recycling, or Energy Recovery:
- Short-term storage, collection, recovery, or treatment facilities.
- Infrastructure to improve the recovery of wastes not covered by the above categories for recycling and reuse.
Eligible Applicants
Applicants must:
- have a current Australian Business Number (ABN), or have a joint venture partner with one, or commits to establish an Australian company prior to commencing project
- be a business or local government that has existing hazardous waste facilities in Victoria, or are proposing a new facility to be located in Victoria
- have been operating in Australia or internationally for a minimum of 12 months by the application closing date
- meet or exceed the minimum co-contribution requirements
- agree to comply with the Terms of Participation in Grant Programs
- agree to comply with the Short form funding agreement for funding of $50,000 or less, or the General Funding agreement for funding more than $50,000.
Applicants and project participants must:
- demonstrate financial capability to undertake the project
- have met program and project timelines in previous Sustainability Victoria funding rounds
- not have failed to address an environmental or safety breach
- not have a breach not yet resolved
- meet due diligence requirements
- not have a current industrial relations investigation or prosecution.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses are encourage to apply.
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Timing
Applications close 25 July 2023.
More Information
Round 2 Recipients
Project: PFAS treatment plant using ozofractionation technology
Cleanaway, an Australian waste management company, is set to construct an ozofractionation plant at their Campbellfield location. The purpose of this plant is to treat water contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), a group of persistent chemicals known for their environmental durability and potential harm to humans and animals.
Project: Reactor for safe disposal of end-of-life chemicals
Cleanaway will build a new Toxshield Reactor at their Laverton North site to enable the safe disposal of highly reactive, end-of-life chemicals.
Project: Contaminated soil washing technology
EarthSure (a joint venture between Ventia and Veolia) will relocate a soil washing plant as a supplementary treatment option on their existing waste management site in Dandenong South. The soil washing plant will transform contaminated soils into beneficial reuse products.
Project: Hazardous liquid waste processing plant upgrade
Veolia will replace and upgrade their existing liquid waste plant in Brooklyn with a more efficient, modern and automated plant. It is estimated that the new plant will increase the system capacity by at least 20%.
