ACCIONA, in collaboration with Blue Phoenix Australia and WA Limestone, has helped deliver Australia’s first car park constructed with recovered materials at the Kwinana Energy Recovery facility south of Perth.

Completed in mid-2025 the project showcases the potential of circular economy principles by repurposing non-recyclable waste into valuable construction resources, marking a major milestone in sustainable infrastructure.

Scott Reynolds, General Manager, highlighted the significance of the achievement. "This project demonstrates how innovation and collaboration can drive meaningful change in infrastructure delivery," Mr Reynolds said. "By using recovered materials, we are reducing landfill reliance and setting a precedent for environmentally responsible construction." 

The car park was built using 1,100 tonnes of Incinerator Bottom Ash Aggregate (IBAA) as a sub-base layer. IBAA is a by-product of the energy recovery process, where non-recyclable waste is incinerated to generate electricity. This material has been used in major infrastructure projects overseas, including motorways in London, and is now being trialled in Australia as part of the state government's Recovered Materials Framework.

The Kwinana Energy Recovery facility, owned by ACCIONA, entered its early operational phase in April 2025. Since then, it has diverted more than 180,000 tonnes of waste from landfill, produced over 30,000 tonnes of IBAA, and recycled 4,280 tonnes of metals. Once fully operational, the recovery facility will process up to 460,000 tonnes of waste annually and generate 38 megawatts of power for the Western Power network.

ACCIONA engineers Maia Wallace and Natalie Harris collaborated with Blue Phoenix Australia and WA Limestone to deliver the car park project. Both engineers praised the strength and durability of IBAA and its potential to reduce environmental impacts by replacing quarried aggregates.

The Kwinana project reflects ACCIONA’s commitment to sustainable infrastructure and innovation. By demonstrating the practical application of circular economy principles, it paves the way for broader adoption of recovered materials across Australia’s construction industry.