Gloucestershire reconsiders risky waste technologies

A report due to go before Gloucestershire council's cabinet today (Wednesday, October 10) reveals it is considering building one of two types of MBT plant alongside a proposal to build an autoclave, combined heat and power plant or gasification facility.

The announcement comes after Gloucestershire pulled out of procuring a 25-year waste management contract with either Cory or Shanks in 2005, which included building an MBT plant, after deciding it involved “substantial” financial risk (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, speaking to letsrecycle.com this week, the council explained there were some “critical differences” to its procurement exercise this time round.

In particular, the county council's head of waste management Mike Williams explained there were more established markets for MBT-derived fuel as well as clear guidelines as to what constituted stabilised waste produced from MBT – which did not exist in 2005.

In addition, Gloucestershire claims that its proposals for both MBT and autoclave – which both produce residues with under-developed end-markets – would be guarded against risk by having thermal treatment facilities attached at the back end, to provide a guaranteed market for their end products.

Mr Williams said: “One of the critical changes is that we want the full solution and not a partial solution – something that totally closes the loop, with a guaranteed price and markets for the technology's by-products.”

Evaluation

Gloucestershire's waste treatment technology options have been whittled down from an original long list of 34 waste management scenarios in a “long evaluation process.”

Cabinet members will discuss them in detail, looking at funding methods, climate change impacts and costs. A final decision is expected when the Cabinet meets again on November 28.

The process will enable Gloucestershire to offer a waste treatment contract to build a facility which could handle around 150,000 tonnes of waste per annum (see letsrecycle.com story).

Councillor Stan Waddington, Gloucestershire's cabinet member for environment, said: “We have a duty to look at the financial and technological choices before making a decision, because if we do nothing now, very difficult choices will have to be made about council budgets in the future.”