The company is to construct an in-vessel composting facility capable of processing up to 55,000 tonnes of green waste each year at a Thames Water site in Hatfield.
Subject to planning permission and licensing, it is hoped the plant will be operational from November 2006, so that food waste and green waste can be collected from local residents' doorsteps.
Processed material will be sent to local farmland, but peat-free compost produced by the plant could also be made available for local gardeners to use.
Commenting on the contract award, Hertfordshire's executive member for transportation and environment, Stuart Pile, said: “Composting garden and kitchen waste is something that we are encouraging people to do at home wherever they can. If this new facility gets the go-ahead, it will not only reduce the pressure on landfill sites but it will also help us to put something back into the environment on a major scale.”
The new Hatfield plant is to be similar in design to the plant the company runs for Buckinghamshire county council at High Heavens, High Wycombe, which was given official approval to treat animal by-products last year.
Terra
Terra Eco Systems now recycles more than 1.7 million tonnes of organic material each year across the country, though mainly in the south of England and in central-southern Scotland.
The organisation was formed originally to recycle sewage sludge, but now manages 1,300 agricultural recycling operations as well as composting in excess of 60,000 tonnes of organic material.
Martin Hammond, Terra Eco System's General Manager, said: “We're delighted to have secured such a major contract, which builds on the success of our work with Buckinghamshire County Council.
“The new plant cements our position as one of the leading experts in organic waste recycling,” he added.
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