London-based technology firm Biossence intends to build the facility at Hooton Park, near Ellesmere Port, and the funding is to be arranged by the Alliance and Leicester Commercial Bank.
As well as the input benefits of a plant such as this one – less waste going to landfill – there are also significant output benefits.
Ian Lawrence, Alliance and Leicester Commercial Bank
It could be in the running to win waste disposal contracts from regional waste authorities like the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority.
Subject to planning permission, the plant is being designed to handle 400,000 tonnes of residual household waste a year, from which it will produce around 20 MW of electricity.
It will use new-to-the-UK technologies including autoclaving, which involves waste being sterilised in high-temperature steam before separation for recycling, and gasification, which involves non-recyclable fractions being converted to a fuel gas.
The site is located close to the Manchester Ship Canal so it will receive the majority of waste by barge, thereby limiting HGV movements in the area.
Ian Lawrence, the Alliance and Leicester's head of infrastructure said: “The facility will create in the region of 100 new jobs in the area and go some way to meeting EU and UK regulations that set strict targets for landfill diversion, with high fines for non-compliance.”
“As well as the input benefits of a plant such as this one – less waste going to landfill – there are also significant output benefits. The plant will generate in the region of 20MW of renewable electricity, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and helping the battle against global warming,” he added.
Biossence claims the system will mitigate the need for costly waste collections where materials are separated out – making it increasingly popular technology amongst urban authorities with poorer recycling records.
Writing on its website, the company said: “We are using proven technology in fully integrated plants to divert waste away from landfill. We offer a long term, sustainable waste disposal solution which will reduce greenhouse gases.”
MWDA
The Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority – which manages waste disposal for Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, Wirral, and St Helens councils – confirmed that Biossence had submitted a bid for the authority's for interim waste treatment contract.
The contract would involve treating about 270,000 tonnes of waste each year, but runs until 2012/13, when the Authority is to start its new multi-billion pound PFI contract (see letsrecycle.com story).
However, in commenting on the project, the MWDA stressed that it is “completely independent” of the Biossence development, and that the company's bid was still going through the pre-qualification stage.
Carl Beer, director of the MWDA, said: “We are currently working to procure new waste management contracts for the treatment and disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside to start in 2008 and will evaluate any potential solution for coming forward from bidders as part of this process.”
“The Authority will be keeping a close watch on the proposed development at Hooton. However, the planning issues are purely a matter for Wirral council as the planning authority – MWDA is not party to the application,” he explained.
The MWDA added that any private develop was free to “compete against others in the marketplace for the Merseyside contracts” but added that having a facility up and running may be an advantage.
He said: “Any developer with a site and planning permission would potentially be in a stronger position than competitors if they decided to compete for these contracts.”
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