Gent Fairhead proposes taller chimney for Rivenhall EfW

Gent Fairhead & Co’s proposals for a 595,000 tonnes per year capacity facility were dealt a blow after the Environment Agency refused an environmental permit for the facility in December 2016 (see letsrecycle.com story).

But, amendments to the proposals were submitted to the Agency and opened for public consultation last month (March). The plans include a revised proposal for the height of the chimney stack, which had been queried by the Agency in the initial application.

The facility is designed to burn solid recovered fuel (SRF) and also incorporates a mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant, an anaerobic digestion plant and a recovered paper pulping facility. Planning permission for the development has already been secured via Essex county council.

Proposals

After the initial permit application, the Environment Agency claimed that the company had been unable to demonstrate that the proposals would reduce emissions and mitigate their impact on the environment through the use of Best Available Techniques (BATs).

The original proposal was to incorporate a chimney stack of around 35-metres. However, according to the Environment Agency, the plant should incorporate a chimney stack measuring a minimum of 70-metres – equivalent to those of similar facilities of its size.

The company has now resubmitted the application with a proposed stack 55-metres above ground-level. Gent Fairhead & Co also claims to have undertaken dispersion modelling of emissions from the stack, which it said has demonstrated that the impact of emissions to air will not have a significant impact on air quality.

The Environment Agency will now consider the environmental impacts of the revised proposals on human health, air, water, land, habitats and species of animals and plants. It will also looks at noise levels, energy efficiency and the sustainability of the plant.

Frank Saunders, team leader at the Environment Agency said: “Gent Fairhead & Co. Ltd’s revised proposals include a change to the height of the incinerator stack. We encourage local people to come to the drop-ins to find out more about the latest proposals. We’d like to hear their thoughts and concerns to make sure we consider local representations in our decision making process.”

The consultation period on the permit application began on March 9 and closes on April 13.