Veolia breaks ground at Southwark MBT site

Veolia Environmental Services has today (July 1) held an official ground-breaking ceremony to mark the start of work on its multi-million pound integrated waste management facility in the London borough of Southwark.

The integrated plant, which is set to be based around an 85,000 tonnes-a-year capacity mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility, comes as part of Veolia's £665 million, PFI-backed contract with the London local authority.

At the site of a former gas works off Old Kent Road in the south-east of the city, it has hailed the plant as “the first inner city facility of its kind” and Veolia is looking to learn lessons from its work near residential areas in areas such as Sheffield to inform the project.

Alongside the MBT – which is the first to be developed by Veolia in the UK – there are plans for an 85,000 tonnes-a-year capacity materials recycling facility (MRF), a household waste and recycling centre, a waste transfer station and a visitors' centre. The site is expected to be operational in early 2012.

Simon Bussell, managing director for Veolia in Southwark, told letsrecycle.com: “We are aiming for early 2012 to be operational but we have to take into account other things. We are working across two winters and we hope for a dry and mild winter rather than the one we have just been through.”

Mr Bussell said that outlets for solid recovered fuel produced as a by-product had not yet been finalised but would be “nearer to completion”.

Ceremony

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, councillor Peter John, leader of Southwark council, said: “It is really delightful to be here and to be able to take the next step to deliver the first real inner city recycling facility of its kind in London and develop a facility in Southwark for Southwark.”

Councillor Barrie Hargrove, cabinet member for transport, environment and recycling, added: “We're delighted to be able to start work on the ambitious project, the first of its kind in London, and made possible with a £34.5 million PFI grant from the previous Labour government.”

Veolia was named preferred bidder for the 25-year waste management contract in 2007, with financial close being achieved in February 2008 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Southwark hopes to double its recycling rate from its current 21% rate to over 40% by 2014 under the contract with the waste management firm.

Cllr Hargove accepted that the council had been presented with a “unique challenge” developing the plant in an “inner London authority”. And, the council had therefore worked closely with the local residents to discuss issues such as noise, odour, aesthetics and traffic in order to minimise the impact on the local community.

Work on the 14-acre site is being carried out by Dutch-owned civil engineering firm VolkerFitzpatrick, which has been subcontracted by Veolia to carry out construction work.