Waratah Expansion Project

The Waratah Expansion Project is an Alternative Waste Treatment (AWT) project located in the industrial suburb of Wetherill Park, approximately 30km west of the Sydney CBD in New South Wales. Registered in April 2024, the project operates at the site of the ResourceCo Wetherill Park Resource Recovery Facility, which is situated within the Cumberland Council area. The facility is a significant infrastructure asset in the region, designed to process commercial and industrial waste.

The project operates under the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative-Alternative Waste Treatment) Methodology Determination 2015. This methodology credits the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions achieved by diverting mixed solid waste from landfills, where it would otherwise decompose and release methane, and processing it into alternative products. Specifically, this project focuses on expanding the facility's capacity to convert dry, non-recyclable waste into Process Engineered Fuel (PEF). This PEF is then used as a high-calorific substitute for fossil fuels, such as coal, in industrial cement kilns.

The local environment of Wetherill Park is characterized as a heavy industrial zone within the Cumberland Plain. The broader region typically experiences a temperate climate with moderate rainfall, averaging around 800mm to 900mm annually. While the site itself is sealed for industrial use, the native soil landscape of the area consists of Wianamatta Shale, producing heavy clay soils that historically supported open woodland before urbanization.

A notable aspect of this project is its dual benefit of waste diversion and fossil fuel displacement. The facility was Australia's largest PEF plant upon its commissioning, capable of processing up to 250,000 tonnes of waste per year to produce approximately 150,000 tonnes of fuel. This output supplies major domestic partners, such as Boral’s Berrima Cement Works, effectively creating a circular economy loop for construction materials.