Flagship Greater Manchester PFI site unveiled

A flagship facility being developed under the 4 billion Greater Manchester waste PFI contract has been opened in Stockport, bringing together mechanical biological treatment, anaerobic digestion and in-vessel composting onto a single site.

The Bredbury Resource Recovery Facility is also home to a redeveloped household waste recycling centre, a transfer loading station and an education and visitor centre.

It represents one of the largest projects to date to be formally opened under the 25-year contract between the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) and contractor Viridor Laing, which was signed in April 2009 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Speaking at Fridays (July 8) official opening, the chair of the GMWDA, councillor Neil Swannick, said: This is one of GMWDAs flagship facilities demonstrating the world-class technology that is treating Greater Manchesters household waste by recycling, composting and generating green energy.

I am delighted with what has been achieved so far, and with similar facilities replicated throughout Greater Manchester ensure that we are another step closer towards our aim of zero waste to landfill.

The mechanical biological treatment (MBT) operation is one of five being developed under the GMWDAs contract with Viridor Laing four of which, including Bredbury, also use anaerobic digestion. The facility at Reliance Street in North Manchester was the first of these to be declared fully operational, in April 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Together, the five MBT operations are expected to produce up to 275,000 tonnes-a-year of solid recovered fuel, to be transported by rail to the energy-from-waste facility which Viridor Laing is involved in building at INEOS Chlors Runcorn site.

This plant, the largest single facility being developed under the PFI contract, is expected to begin commissioning in 2012 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Range of operations

The full range of operations at the Bredbury facility includes:
The MBT and AD facility, which is currently at commissioning stage. According to the GMWDA, this is expected to be completed in early January 2012;
A 50,000 tonne-a-year capacity in-vessel composting facility, which is now operational;
A redeveloped household waste recycling centre, which aims to offer a more convenient lay-out, better traffic management and better safety than its predecessor;
A transfer loading station, sorting recyclable waste to be sent on for reprocessing;
An education and visitor centre, the fourth to be developed under the contract, which will open for bookings in January 2012.

EIB

The waste PFI contract was finalised with the help of 200 million of support from the EUs lending institution the European Investment Bank. Fridays opening was attended by the banks UK vice president, Simon Brooks, who said: The European Investment Bank is committed to supporting a new generation of improved waste management in the UK.

The new facility not only solves environmental challenges in Greater Manchester, but shows cities across Europe how green economic opportunities can be unlocked to promote sustainable development.”