The EfW plant, which will also include a mechanical biological treatment facility (MBT) to pre-treat domestic and commercial residual waste, is part of an £80 million, 24-year contract that the council signed with New Earth in 2011.
It was originally scheduled to come online in summer 2015 – however councillors have admitted a modification to the original proposals now means the facility may not be running until 2017 or later. The contractual deadline to complete the facility is 2019.
The site is now due to incorporate New Earth’s patented NEAT technology, which has been trialled at the New Earth facility in Avonmouth and will see gasification used to convert the waste into electricity. The technology requires only a ‘low level stack’ compared to other forms of thermal recovery technology.
Councillor David Paterson, executive member for environmental services, told letsrecycle.com that the Galashiels plant would implement the technology on a ‘smaller-scale’ than in Avonmouth, which he visited as part of a 16-strong delegation to the site earlier this month.
Cllr Paterson said that the live demonstration of the technology had been ‘very informative’ and an ‘insight into what we could have in the Borders’.
Under revised plans, the MBT and gasification plants will now be completed together, meaning refuse-derived fuel will be treated on-site from the start of the contract rather than exported to Europe.
Modification
Council leader David Parker said: “The proposed integrated waste treatment and energy recovery facility at Easter Langlee near Galashiels was programmed to commence construction in spring/summer 2014, with an opening date of late summer 2015.
“Planning permission for the energy recovery facility to complement the existing, implemented mechanical treatment permission has been secured and an application for a modification to the operating permit is being progressed with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.”
“Our Executive committee agreed at its meeting on 19 August 2014 to re-profile the planned capital expenditure and a new delivery timetable is being agreed.”
The delay has been highlighted by former Hawick councillor Andrew Farquhar as a reason why the Scottish Borders was wrong to scrap green waste collections in the region in April this year.
Heading a petition to reintroduce the service – which was signed by nearly 8,000 residents and submitted to the council last week (October 23) – Mr Farquhar claimed that the service had been axed prematurely.
Suspension
The petition submitted to the council on Thursday (October 23) states: “The suspension of the fortnightly green bin uplift has caused widespread outrage and dismay as demonstrated by the number of signatures the petition has attracted in a relatively short space of time.
“The decision was particularly baffling given that the percentage of Borders waste being recycled was bound to fall significantly at a time when the long-term aim in Scotland is zero waste going to landfill.”
It continues: “It is claimed the costs associated with landfilling garden waste placed in ‘general’ refuse bins will be wiped out when the new integrated waste treatment facility (WTF) becomes operational. Surely this proves conclusively that green bin uplifts should not have been withdrawn until the WTF was up and running.”
Under the new system, residents must tip their green waste at local household waste and recycling centres, where it is sent on for composting. But Mr Farquhar goes on to warn that recycling centres have failed to cope with an increase in demand following the cancellation, and flytipping has increased as a result.
Scottish Borders
The council has defended its decision to axe the service, arguing it had been ‘discretionary’ and made only available to those in urban areas.
It also argues that the council will be able to save around £400,000 a year by cancelling the service, 50% of the savings that need to be delivered under the integrated waste management strategy.
Defending the decision, Cllr Parker, said: “The garden waste service was a discretionary, non-mandatory service provided only in urban areas of the Scottish Borders.
“When in operation, the kerbside garden waste service cost approximately £609,000 to provide on an annual basis. Its removal was agreed by councillors and implemented only after a range of alternatives were considered.”
He added: “At present, we remain on track to meet the 2021 ban on biodegradable waste to landfill as outlined in the Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and the new plant will assist with attaining this in the long term.”
Meanwhile, Cllr Paterson told letsrecycle.com that the council could vote to reinstate green waste collections when the council meets to discuss the petition on Thursday (October 30) – although such a decision was ‘unlikely’ given budget constraints.
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