Essex could house three MBT plants

The partnership between Essex county council, the unitary council of Southend-on-sea and 12 district councils is looking at the use of mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plants to minimise the amount of waste that the county sends to landfill in time for the first landfill allowance target year of 2010.

” The tendering process will probably last around a year and we hope to award a contract by late 2006“
– Graham Tombs, Essex Waste Partnership
The partnership is currently looking at the possibility of housing three MBT plants, one in the South, one in the West and one in the East of the county.

Graham Tombs, head of waste, recycling and environment at Essex county council, said that the county were not prepared to house an incinerator and would be going down the MBT route.

“We are preferable to an anaerobic digestion plant at the moment which would allow us to produce digestive compost. Although this would probably not be used for food crop we have investigated the possibility of using it on local fuel crop sites.”

An incinerator to take a portion of the county's waste featured in original plans which were put out for consultation by Essex. The idea attracted considerable opposition and was bitterly opposed by the local branch of Friends Of the Earth.

Timeline

The partnership has sent a formal submission of interest to the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs outlining the details of its Private Finance Initiative (PFI) plans.

An Outline Business Case will be sent to government in June with the Final Business Case being put forward this Autumn. Mr Tombs said that the tendering process would begin by the end of 2005.

He said: “The tendering process will probably last around a year and we hope to award a contract by late 2006. The waste strategy, which will be for 25-30 years, will begin in early 2007.”

Mr Tombs said that first and foremost the waste strategy would be encouraging increased recycling at the household. He said: “We want to have 40% recycling across the entire county at doorstep level. Then one of the objects of the strategy contract will be to bring in incentive recycling in an attempt to push that level up to 55%.”