Construction of Cardiff EfW to start within weeks

Work on Wales first combined heat and power waste incinerator is due to start within weeks after Viridor signed a contract with a joint venture involving engineering company CNIM and construction firm Lagan to build the facility.

The 185 million plant is being developed at Trident Park, Cardiff, to treat 350,000 tonnes of residual waste a year.

Following the appointment of the lead contractors, Viridor expects ground work preparation to commence within the next few weeks with the main construction to begin in the summer. The energy-from-waste facility (EfW), one of the first in Wales, is scheduled to be fully operational in 2014.

Viridor is one of two companies, alongside Veolia, which is left in the running for the 1.1 billion Prosiect Gwyrdd contract to treat residual waste from Caerphilly, Cardiff, Monmouthshire, Newport and Vale of Glamorgan (see letsrecycle.com story), and it is hoping that waste from this deal will help to fill the EfW facility.

However, a spokeswoman for the company told letsrecycle.com that the plant was being developed on a merchant basis and would be built regardless of whether the contract was won. A merchant plant isa large facilitywhich has the capacity to take waste from a number of sources. A preferred bidder for theProsiect Gwyrdd dealis due to be named in Autumn 2012.

The spokeswoman said: Having the contract will be a huge benefit as it will fill half our capacity. But there are other local authority contracts in Wales outside Prosiect Gwyrdd which we will look at, as well as commercial and industrial waste.

Feedstock

Localanti-incineration group Cardiff Against the Incinerator has questioned whether there will be enough waste to fill the plant.

Edmund Schluessel from the campaign told letsrecycle.com: Viridor are rushing ahead with this incinerator project when they know this plant depends on public subsidies to have any business case at all. They are dependent on every scrap of waste in South East Wales.

Mr Schluessel added that local councils had not yet signed up to the Prosiect Gwyrdd contract and were increasingly aware that the last incinerator to be built in Wales at Crymlyn Burrows had caused numerous problems for Neath Port Talbot council after their contractor went in administration (see letsrecycle.com story).

He said: Last month we and several other groups gave evidence to a Prosiect Gwyrdd select committee which was looking at the health impacts of incineration.

Efficient

Following a detailed selection process, Viridor will work with CNIM to help make the Trident Park facility one of the most efficient EfW combined heat and power operations in Europe. The other joint venture partner, Lagan, will carry out the main build of the facility.

Howard Ellard, Viridors business development director, said: We are pleased to be taking this important project to the construction phase. By 2014 Trident Park EfW will help local authorities and businesses to transform their residual waste into much-needed renewable energy.

The appointment of the CNIM and Lagan joint venture company is part of a long term working relationship with both organisations that we expect to strengthen over the next few years. They are both highly respected, with excellent reputations in their respective fields.

Viridor is already working with CNIM in the construction of its energy from waste facility in Ardley, Oxfordshire and we are delighted to be working in partnership on our Trident park project.