Winner: Hero Engineering
Project: DiCOM Project Development
Location: Perth, Western Australia
AnaeCo designs and operates Alternative Waste Technology (AWT) plants to process Municipal waste to produce saleable compost, recyclables and energy. Redirection of waste from landfill is processed using the DiCOM bioconversion process developed and patented by AnaeCo.
The company had to demonstrate the DiCOM process as a viable AWT, requiring electrical and control systems for the demonstration facility and later the commercial scale plant. Hero Engineering worked with AnaeCo to develop the demonstration plant (stage 1) including the electrical, control and functional safety design during 2009.
The performance trials received independent validation of the DiCOM process with regard to product quality, effluent control (water, noise and odour emission), demonstrated plant safe operation and robust engineering processes.
Sloan Thompson, East Coast Business Manager, Hero Engineering receives the award from category sponsor Geoffrey Irvine, Rockwell Automation – Industry Manager, South Pacific.
During stage 1 commissioning, the scoping for a 55,000 tpa AWT commercial scale project was undertaken by AnaeCo and Hero Engineering. Hero Engineering commenced stage 2 detail design in April 2010.
This represents a substantial scale-up of stage 1 and reuses process equipment and control and safety systems from stage 1.
As a result DiCOM, developed by AnaeCo, has been accepted as a solution to process municipal waste. According to Sloan Thompson, East Coast Business Manager, Hero Engineering, the greatest challenge was the scope of the project.
“We have been working on this project for some years already, with our partner AnaeCo,” Thompson said. “We’ve been developing all sorts of process control, safety systems and electrical solutions. We’ve progressed from pilot projects and demonstrations.
“We’ve gone commercial and are transforming waste into energy and compost. We’ve been keeping in mind the safety engineering applications of system management and functionality, and bearing in mind all the process controls throughout the whole transformation.”
The judges said the project was well engineered and well managed.
Check out all the Finalists in the Transport, Power and Infrastructure category.
The 2011 Zenith Transport, Power and Infrastructure Award is sponsored by Rockwell Automation.
Rockwell Automation Australia and Rockwell Automation New Zealand are subsidiaries of Rockwell Automation, Inc. — a leading global provider of industrial power, automation control and information solutions that help manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage in their businesses. The company brings together leading global brands in industrial automation which include Allen-Bradley® controls and services and Rockwell Software® factory management software. Its broad product mix includes control logic systems, sensors, human-machine interfaces, drive controllers, power devices, and software.