The Planning Sub-Committee at the London Borough of Havering has given its consent to the project which will be located at a 4.2 hectare site at Frog Island, within the Ferry Lane Industrial Estate on the north bank of the River Thames near Rainham.
The plant will take 180,000 tonnes of waste each year as part of Shanks' contract with the East London Waste Authority (ELWA). Following a three-month judicial review period, Shanks said it would take 28 months to build and commission the MBT plant.
Shanks is also building a materials recycling facility on the Frog Island site, which will handle 110,00 tonnes a year and should start up in early 2005.
The company is also planning to build a second MBT plant in Newham, subject to planning consent being given in September 2003.
Commenting on the development, Shanks East London managing director Allan Barton said: “This is excellent news. Right from the start, we have worked closely with the borough council and our neighbours in Havering, holding a number of exhibitions and displays to inform local people of what we are planning to do. This innovative new site, which will be the first of its kind in the UK will ensure that recycling and recovery increases significantly in the local area”.
About 550,000 tonnes of waste was produced in the ELWA region in 2002-03, with just 6% being recycled. The targets set for Shanks East London include a 25% recycling rate in the period 2005-06, rising to 33% by 2014-15. These targets are above the statutory targets set for the ELWA by the government.
Key
The two MBT plants are key to the waste company's plans on meeting these targets, although Shanks East London has various plans for the area's waste besides the MBT plants, including rail links and kerbside collections of recyclable materials for all households.
Graham Farrant, Managing Director of the East London Waste Authority (ELWA) said: “We are delighted that the developments have been given the go-ahead. The new facility will dramatically change the way rubbish is dealt with in this area.”
The Mechanical Biological Treatment system to be used at the plant uses Italian technology, which recovers inorganic recyclables from mixed waste, and produces a residue, Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF). Nick Wellington, communications manager at Shanks East London told letsrecycle.com that as much as 45% of the material going into the plant will end up as RDF, which will have to be either landfilled or incinerated.
Mr Wellington explained: “The plant will take in about 180,000 tonnes of material a year, and once it has gone through the process, there will be about 45% residue, which will come out as a secondary fuel. There are two options that we could use for this, we could either landfill it or sell it as a secondary fuel.”
Mr Wellington said that Shanks had not yet decided on which option it would use for the residue from the plant, and that the issue had not come up in the planning approval.
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