Veolia’s Taylors Road Resource Recovery Precinct in Dandenong South is set to welcome a new $15 million contaminated soil-washing technology facility.
This state-of-the-art installation, a joint venture between Veolia and Ventia under the EarthSure brand, will have the capacity to clean and repurpose 160,000 tonnes of contaminated soils and aggregates annually.
The project has received significant backing from the Victorian government, with Sustainability Victoria providing a $1.15 million grant through its Circular Economy Infrastructure Fund — Hazardous Waste Stream.
This investment marks another milestone in the precinct’s transformation from a landfill to a resource recovery park.
EarthSure‘s existing thermal facility already handles highly contaminated Category A and B waste through direct-fired thermal desorption.
The new soil washing facility will complement this by addressing Category C soils, which are typically less contaminated and originate from underground excavations and construction sites.
The soil washing facility employs cutting-edge treatment processes to remove both organic and inorganic contaminants, including:
- Oils and fuels
- Debris
- Organic compounds
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Heavy metals
This environmentally effective solution, when combined with the thermal facility, will divert all Category C soil from landfills, closing the loop in the circular economy by making cleaned products available for reuse.
Mark Globan, Veolia’s General Manager for Resource Recovery, highlighted the facility’s significance, stating: “This groundbreaking solution for Victoria’s circular economy allows us to recover more polluted soils, treating them to a level where they can be safely reused in various construction and civil engineering applications.”
The facility is expected to:
- Divert over 144,000 tonnes of soil from landfills annually
- Process 25-30 per cent of Victoria’s annually generated contaminated soils
- Significantly reduce the need for quarried virgin materials
Construction of the facility began in July 2024 and is slated for completion in the first quarter of 2025.
The project aligns with Veolia’s global Green Up strategy, aimed at accelerating positive environmental impact.
Adam Fletcher, Ventia General Manager Environmental Services, emphasised the project’s potential, stating: “This is an innovation that has been rapidly scaled up to commercial size and which will make a significant difference to the trajectory of soil reuse in Victoria.”
As Victoria continues to prioritise sustainable practices, the EarthSure facility stands as a testament to the power of innovative solutions in creating a more environmentally conscious future.