A GASIFICATION facility built at the Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant is set to turn sewage sludge into heat energy and environmentally-friendly soil conditioner.
The $17 million project - which will begin initial trials in February - could reduce the volume of sewage sludge - known as biosolids - by about 90 per cent.
Currently, six truckloads of biosolids are transported about 300 kilometres to the Darling Downs for land application every day, costing $1.8 million - or 30 per cent of the plant's operating costs - per year.
The project would save $500,000 in operating costs annual and initially reduce carbon emission by 4,800 tonnes each year.
Biosolids would be dried and treated at high temperatures. Heat created would be captured and used in the sludge-drying phase.
The process produces a biochar containing carbon, phosphorus and potassium that could be used as an environmentally friendly soil conditioner.
With support from an onsite solar power system, the facility would be almost energy neutral.
Acting road and water infrastructure director Daryl Ross said council continued to work to find a more viable and sustainable management solution that also lessened the environmental impact of the disposal process.
"Costs are increasing due to rising electricity prices, increasing population and tightening of government regulations on carbon reduction and managing persistent organic pollutants in soils," he said.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will contribute $6.22 million in funding.
ARENA chief executive Darren Miller said the project will offer significant opportunities to be replicated by other councils.
"Logan City Council's demonstration project is expected to deliver a commercial business case for the gasification of biosolids for similarly sized wastewater treatment plants across Australia," he said.
"The key knowledge learned from this installation will be significant given the first-of-kind deployment."
Federal Member for Forde Bert van Manen said the project represented a great opportunity for the environment and local economy.
"Once completed, the facility will be capable of reducing the sheer volume of waste that needs to be carted out through our local streets and is expected to reduce up to 4800 tons of carbon emissions each year," he said.
"It is also an opportunity for the council and the community to benefit from the production and sale of biochar - a highly sought after slow release fertiliser used in the agricultural sector."
The new facility is set to be fully operational by July 2021.
