Construction of the 44,000 tonnes per year facility began in April 2017 on a site which previously held a gasifier operated Waste Gas Technology.
It was initially due to complete commissioning in the summer of 2019.
However, Isle of Wight council, which is developing the site in partnership with Amey, has told letsrecycle.com that cold commissioning of the facility is in its final stages and trial incineration is expected to begin later this month.
The council added: “The plant continues to undergo commissioning activities which are expected to be completed in the summer”.
The facility at Forest Road, Newport, is being delivered by contractor Amey for the Isle of Wight council, under a waste collection and treatment contract which will span 25 years. The facility will be owned by the council and will be operated by Amey.
Gasification
When the plant was given planning permission in March 2016 it was intended that it would use gasification, rather than direct burn incineration – also known as ‘moving grate technology’.
The following year the Environment Agency granted a variation of its permit to allow it to move to more standard moving grate incineration technology (see letsrecycle.com story).
The plant will use technology from the German waste technology provider, Michaelis Environmental Technology and GRUNEN. The deal in 2017 marked a first of its type for the company in the UK.
Michaelis now also works with N+P on its plant in Chelveston, Northamptonshire and WH Malcom’s plant in Glasgow.
Amey
Reports began circulating in 2019 that Amey planned to exit the waste sector, and two months ago the company— a subsidiary of the Spanish infrastructure services company Ferrovial— sold six of its waste contracts to Urbaser.
This follows moves to exit a number of other collection contracts in the UK. However, it still retains its waste treatments/disposal projects such as on the Isle of Wight and in Milton Keynes.
The company also operates the Allerton Waste Recovery Park in North Yorkshire. Its plans for a 250,000 tonnes a year plant in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, were turned down in June 2020 by the Planning Inspectorate.
Risk
Isle of Wight council confirmed to letsrecycle.com that any financial risk of construction delay remains with Amey.
It added that the two companies “continue to work closely together to divert waste from landfill while final commissioning is completed”.
Waste that is not suitable for recycling is currently being diverted from landfill where possible and sent for energy recovery, “resulting in a 99% diversion from landfill from the latest figures achieved in December 2020,” the council added.
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