The arc21 group of 11 Northern Irish councils has announced the shortlist for a contract to build the country's first ever Energy-from-Waste and mechanical biological treatment facilities, in a deal valued at between £200 million and £500 million.

The waste management partnership, which brings together local authorities from the east of Northern Ireland, including Belfast city council, has revealed that six bidders will be invited to submit a "detailed and technically advanced" bid for the award.

Expected to last between 25 and 40 years, the contract involves the development of two MBT plants, with a combined capacity of 400,000 tonnes-a-year, and an Energy-from-Waste facility with a capacity of up to 370,000 tonnes-a-year.

The six short-listed bidders are: the US-based Energy-from-Waste specialist Covanta Energy Ltd; a consortium between Irish waste management firm Greenstar Holdings Ltd and energy company E.On Energy from Waste AG; a joint bid from Irish waste management company Indaver and equity investors John Laing; Berkshire-based waste and recycling company SITA Holdings UK Ltd; the Shanks Wheelabrator Consortium, which brings together the UK waste management company and US EfW technology firm; and, Veolia's waste disposal company, Veolia ES Aurora Ltd.

The contract was originally advertised in the Official Journal of the European Union in September 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Commenting on the announcement, councillor Hubert Nicholl, chairman of arc21's joint committee, said: "We are continuing to make significant progress in our aim to deliver modern waste treatment facilities for the arc 21 region. We were very pleased with the response of the private sector to the original tender. We have invited six consortia to participate in the next stage of the procurement process.

"It is important that progress is made in the delivery of the arc 21 waste management plan in order that we can avoid potentially heavy fines from Europe, but also so that we can contribute to the diversity of sources necessary to satisfy our combined energy needs in the future," he added.

Arc21 has said that it expects to complete the tender process by the summer of 2010, and to have the facilities built under the contract up-and-running by 2014.