The arc21 consortium of 11 Northern Irish councils has today (July 1) cut the shortlist for its long-term, multi-million pound waste management contract from six bidders to just three.

We continue to maintain progress in our aim to deliver modern state-of-the-art waste treatment facilities for the arc21 region

 
Ricky Burnett, policy & operations director, arc21

The waste management partnership is looking to award a contract to deliver two mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facilities with a combined capacity of 400,000 tonnes-a-year and a 370,000 tonnes-a-year capacity energy-from-waste (EfW) plant, in a deal believed to be worth between £200 million and £500 million.

The bidders to have made it to the latest shortlist for the 25- to 40-year-long deal are:

• a consortium between Irish-owned waste management company Greenstar UK and energy company E.On Energy from Waste AG;
• Veolia's waste disposal company Veolia ES Aurora;
• and, waste management company SITA Holdings UK.

This means three of the six who made it to the initial shortlist announced in January 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story) are now out of the race for the deal. These are: a consortium between Shanks Group and US EfW firm Wheelabrator, a joint bid from Irish waste management company Indaver and equity investors John Laing; and, US EfW specialists Covanta Energy.

The three remaining bidders will now be invited to submit detailed submissions relating to the provision of the major waste infrastructure, as the consortium looks to award the contract by the beginning of 2011.

Commenting on today's announcement, Ricky Burnett, policy & operations director at arc21, said: "We continue to maintain progress in our aim to deliver modern state-of-the-art waste treatment facilities for the arc21 region. We have invited three consortia forward to participate in the next phase of our procurement process."

"This marks the achievement of another important milestone in our process. The next phase involves the development of detailed submissions relating to the provision of MBT facilities and an EfW plant," he added.

EfW

Today's announcement comes just days after Belfast city council last week voted not to release land at North Foreshore as a potential site for the arc21 partnership's proposed EfW facility (see letsrecycle.com story).

Despite the council's decision, arc21 has vowed to seek an alternative site and cited "overwhelming" public support for the development of an EfW plant, which saw a four-week consultation carried out by Belfast city council in February 2009 find that nine out of 10 residents support the development of such a facility.

And, Mr Burnett today reiterated that the consortium remains committed to pursuing the EfW option.

"Experience throughout Europe clearly shows that high recycling rates can be achieved alongside EfW," he said. "Establishing these facilities is not only necessary to avoid heavy fines from Europe, but they can also help satisfy future energy needs and act as potential stimulus for local economic development."