Premier Waste Management is putting the finishing touches to a three-tier tower digester at its Thornley site in Easington, which will be capable of processing 25,000 tonnes of black bag rubbish a year.
 Premier Waste is putting the finishing touches to its three-tier tower digester system |
The Premier Advanced Recyling Centre (PARC), which is being developed in partnership with CiCiC Environmental Systems, aims to validate new technology which uses concrete instead of steel to insulate and help break down waste.
The tower will also allow careful control over the biological decomposition of the waste – with a complex system of aeration, moisture content and movement.
Dave Brooks, head of New Technologies at Defra's Waste Implementation Programme, said: “The Parc system is a method of addressing the ever-more pressing task of diverting the maximum amount of waste possible away from landfill and its development has progressed exactly on schedule.”
He added: “It provides a compact option for local authorities with waste management facilities located close to areas of population and is an excellent example of how new technologies can be utilised to tackle environmental issues.”
Technology
Under the New Demonstrator trial, which is one of nine projects aiming to showcase and test new waste technologies throughout the UK (see letsrecycle.com story), waste which is currently sent from Easington, Durham city and South Tyneside councils by Premier Waste to landfill will be shredded and digested for six days inside the new tower.
Stone, glass, metals and plastic films will then be removed from the material which is then composted, leaving a material suitable for local brownfield site remediation.
 The plant takes in mixed “black bag” waste, removing recyclable materials before biodegradable material is digested |
Premier Waste claims that the process will divert 70% of material from landfill.
The development of the project follows a five year trial by Premier Waste and Durham University at the Thornley site involving two steel digestion towers which already 37,000 tonnes of municipal household waste a year.
Dr Les Grant, chief executive of Premier Waste, said: “Parc is a highly flexible system capable of processing both source segregated and un-segregated waste streams.”
He added: “We have guaranteed markets for its various outputs which we believe will expand as the uses of compost derived products become clearer and the regulatory environment catches up with these new technologies.”
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The demonstrator project will involve a trial collection of cardboard and plastics from Easington, Durham and South Tyneside to see the impact on reducing carbon emissions in the waste treatment process and the end products.
Dr Grant said: “We truly believe that local authorities around the UK stand to benefit greatly from investigating its implementation.”
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