The fire at the plant on the Bursom Industrial Estate near Beaumont Leys took place on Sunday during operational engineering testing (see letsrecycle.com story).
The plant had been expected to open next month. In a statement released today, Biffa confirmed that the fire had been discovered by staff in the ball mill, a machine that uses 42 tonnes of steel “canon balls” to grind waste into material that can be used for recycling or composting. The company said the fire “caused significant damage to the internal rubber membrane of the new unit”, and “there was also damage to the adjoining offices caused by smoke”.
The company said although more 50 firefighters were involved in putting out the fire, the building was quickly evacuated and nobody was injured.
Biffa Leicester general manager Mick Davis said: “We are currently working with both the fire service and specialist engineers to discover the cause of the fire and assess the damage. Once we have determined the cause, we will then be in a position to decide on the full opening of the plant.
“Until then, Biffa will work with its own engineers and staff to maintain the high levels of waste collection and recycling currently in operation,” he added.
Biffa said it does not expect the fire to affect any of the current refuse and recycling collections.
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