The news comes as the council enters into a partnership for the project with neighbouring local authority Vale of Glamorgan. Under the partnership the councils will jointly provide kerbside source-separated food and green waste collections. The waste will then be sent for treatment at the facility being developed under the contract.
The remaining four bidders shortlisted for the contract are:
- Agrivert;
- GENeco;
- Kelda Biogen Renewables Cymru, and;
- Shanks Waste Management.
This means Cory Environmental, New Earth Solutions, TEG Environmental and Waste Recycling Group (now part of FCC Environmental) are no longer in the running (see letsrecycle.com story).
The preferred bidder is expected to be named in autumn 2013. It is anticipated that the contract will be awarded to the successful bidder by early 2014, with the facilities becoming operation by early 2016.
Councillor Ashley Govier, cabinet member for the environment at Cardiff city council, said he was pleased with the high calibre of the remaining bid and the solutions they were offering.
He said: Despite the financial pressures we are facing, this administration is taking positive steps through new service delivery models towards ensuring Cardiff becomes a truly sustainable city in an era when technology is constantly changing. The development of the organic waste treatment facilities will ensure we continue to develop solutions that make best use of the waste we all produce whilst securing a financial benefit for the residents of Cardiff.
Project
Cardiff said the pioneering scheme will give it the potential to generate energy, produce compost and make organic fertiliser for the agricultural sector while diverting more waste from landfill.
The council said it approached the procurement on a technology neutral basis, with the aim of attracting interest from bidders using various technologies, including: anaerobic digestion; in-vessel composting (IVC); and, open windrow composting.
Cardiff city council already owns a designated treatment site at Lamby Way, which has planning permission for a 50,000 tonne-per-annum IVC facility.
At present, Cardiffs mixed food and green waste is treated by New Earth Solutions at its in-vessel composting facility in Sharpness, under an interim contract with the local authority (see letsrecycle.com story).
Partnership
By partnering with Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff said both councils would benefit as they would be able to take advantage of economies of scale and reduced public procurement costs.
Councillor Rob Curtis, cabinet member for environment and visible services at the Vale of Glamorgan council said: “We are pleased to be working in partnership with Cardiff Council on this project. This procurement will allow us to treat our organic waste in accordance with our governments’ preferred technology, by using the most sustainable, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way to treat all our food waste.”
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