Edinburgh and Midlothian name food waste shortlist

Viridor Waste Management Ltd and Alauna Renewable Energy, a joint venture between Kelda Water Services (a subsidiary of Yorkshire Water) and Scottish Water Horizons have been named as the final two contractors in the running to process food waste for the two councils. Currently the value and length of the contract have not been revealed, but around 20,000 tonnes of food waste per year will be treated under the contract.

It is hoped that the joint project, titled Zero Waste will see a reduction in the amount of food waste that is sent to landfill, in line with the Scottish Governments pledge to ensure that no more than 5% of waste is landfilled by 2025.

Facilities

In March 2011, the two councils submitted plans for the redevelopment of the disused site at the Millerhill Marshalling yard near Millerhill in Midlothian, including provisional plans for three waste facilities including an energy-from-waste incinerator and an anaerobic digestion plant (see letsrecycle.com story).

The councils are still awaiting submission of detailed proposals from each of the bidders as to how they intend to management the treatment of the waste under the contract, and while the Millerhill site is the preferred location for any proposed facilities, this could be subject to change.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, enviroment leader at the city of Edinburgh council, said: A number of schemes are now underway to radically improve our waste and recycling services. I welcome the progress being made on the Zero Waste project because it is an integral part of our overall waste strategy.

Councillor Russell Imrie, cabinet member for strategic services for Midlothian council, said: The announcement takes us another step closer to delivering a better more sustainable and more efficient waste treatment service as part of a zero waste future for Edinburgh and Midlothian.

Shortlist

Two other firms were in the running for the contract including Spanish-owned waste management company AmeyCespa and waste and recycling company Shanks, named as part of the four-bidder shortlist released in May 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).

A council spokesman said it is expected that each of the two remaining bidders would now present their final submissions by summer 2012, with a preferred bidder likely to be named later on in the year with the contract likely to be awarded by the end of 2012.