Established by Kelda Water Services for the bid and part of the Kelda Group, the company is proposing to develop anaerobic digestion (AD) and open windrow composting facilities in Cardiff, both of which already have planning permission.
It is expected that over the length of the 15-year contract, the facilities will recycle up to a million tonnes of kerbside collected food and garden waste.
An AD plant will be built to process 35,000 tonnes of discarded food waste collected by Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils each year. Plus, an open windrow composting plant will also be developed to process 38,000 tonnes of garden waste collected annually by both councils.
Commenting on the signing of the deal Kelda’s commercial director, Tom Hall, said: “We are delighted to sign this long- term contract with Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils. Construction will begin this summer and we hope to have both sites fully operational by early 2017. We look forward to further increasing recycling rates and supporting the Welsh Government in its ‘Zero Waste’ aspirations.”
Anaerobic Digestion
The AD facility has been developed by Kelda working closely with Welsh Water. Located at the utility company’s Cardiff Wastewater Treatment Works, the renewable energy produced by the AD process is equivalent to powering approximately 4,000 homes. This will be used by Welsh Water to offset their need to import energy from the grid.
Councillor Bob Derbyshire, City of Cardiff council cabinet member for environment, said: “The signing of the contract with Kelda signifies a new 15-year partnership between Kelda, the City of Cardiff council and the Vale of Glamorgan council to deliver innovative ways to treat organic waste. This contract is a reinforcement of our commitment to meet the statutory Welsh Government targets as we work towards their ‘Zero Waste’ goal for 2050.”
Operational manager for waste management at Vale council, Clifford Parish, added: “We are delighted to be able to work in partnership with the City of Cardiff council to deliver the organic waste treatment facilities. The facilities are a demonstration of our shared commitment to reducing waste, recycling and sustainability.”
Eight companies were originally announced in the long-list for the deal in April 2012 after the procurement process began in December 2011: Agrivert; Cory Environmental; Kelda Organic Energy; New Earth Solutions; Shanks Waste Management; Wessex Water Enterprises, trading as Geneco; and Waste Recycling Group.
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