Bankstown City will continue to be a leader in innovation and sustainability after receiving a $2
million boost from the Federal Government.

Mayor Khal Asfour said the $2,012,450 grant will go towards the $4 million Bankstown Power Generation Project.

“At the heart of this project is the proposed installation of a tri-generation system generating 500KW of electricity,” Mayor Asfour said.

Tri-generation is a high-efficiency energy system that produces both electricity (and mechanical power) and valuable heat from a single fuel source.

It provides economic as well as environmental benefits because it turns otherwise wasted heat into a useful energy source.

Mayor Asfour said the Bankstown tri-generation plant would supply power and heating for the Civic Tower (34,000sqm floor space occupied by council and NSW Government agencies) and new Library and Knowledge Centre (5,000sqm of library, community meeting rooms and 300 seat theatre).

“The tri-generation system will reduce demand on the electricity grid by an estimated 40% - a saving of more than $137,000 a year to ratepayers,” Mayor Asfour said.

“It would also be supported by an energy efficient retrofit of electrical services with a focus on interior and car park lighting in the Civic Tower.”

Other benefits include:

• Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions;
• Reduction in transmission losses;
• Reduction in reliance of grid electricity;
• Additional backup electricity whilst providing cooling and heating;
• Reduction in electricity used by the chiller plant through the use of absorption chillers;
• Gas used by the boiler’s plant through the use of hotwater heat exchanger; and
• Reduction in the building’s power demand and therefore costs.

Work is expected to start later this year and be completed in 2014.