Grant Shapps, (Conservative)housing and local government minister in Mr Pickles communities and local government department, has been keeping up a high profile anti-incinerator campaign in his Welwyn-Hatfield constituency where the plant would be built.
Last month he described the plans for the site at New Barnfield, Hatfield as crazy and is inviting opponents to send donations to the anti-campaign to his local address. On July 14, on his website, Mr Shapps noted: A shocking new video has been posted on YouTube by campaigners against an incinerator at New Barnfield. The animation uses data provided by Veolia during their recent consultation exercise to graphically illustrate the size and scale of the 380,000 ton proposed Hatfield Energy from Waste plant.
In contrast, Derrick Ashley, (Conservative) Hertfordshires executive member for waste management, announcing the contract last week said: “Your local county council is committed to help reduce, reuse and recycle more waste but we must do something to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill – due to costs and the environmental impact.
CllrAshley went on to say that Veolia had been up against tough competition for the work it had faced a bid from E.On as the other final contender. (see letsrecycle.com story)
Best all-round
The councillor continued: “Veolia Environmental Services (UK) plc offered the best all-round solution for Hertfordshire. The contract with Veolia has been negotiated with a minimum tonnage of 180,000 tonnes so as not to interfere with expected increases in the level of recycling and composting. In fact, based on our original waste projections, this minimum tonnage that has been negotiated will allow us to recycle up to around 75% by the end of the contract without any financial penalty to the council.”
CllrAshley added that the contract is one of the biggest ever entered into by Hertfordshire County Council . The final contract has worked out to be better value than we originally estimated and will potentially save Hertfordshire’s taxpayers at least 779 million on the cost of waste disposal over the 25-year contract period. This is an annual saving of 31 million.”
Defra has committed 115.3 million in Waste Infrastructure Credits (formally known as PFIs) to help fund the development.
Sustainable
Denis Gasquet, chief executive officer of Veolia Environmental Services and senior executive vice president of Veolia Environnement, said: “This facility is purpose-designed to treat Hertfordshire’s residual waste via a sustainable approach that boosts recycling and creates low carbon renewable energy while maximising landfill diversion and we look forward to working in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council in the coming years.”
Veolia ES is now working on environmental impact assessments and preparing a planning application which will be submitted in the middle of November. The company is planning to take in commercial and industrial waste to the EfW facility to fill some of the gap between what it expects under the contract with Hertfordshire and the actual capacity.
In tender documentation for the project, the county council said: Hertfordshire County Council, as Waste Disposal Authority, requires a facility with the capacity to treat all of its residual waste after kerbside recycling has taken place. The County Council has projected that there will be up to 345,000 tonnes residual municipal waste by 2039/40 and, therefore, the facility will need the capacity to deal with this amount. This is not to say that the waste disposal authority will guarantee 345,000 tonnes of waste each year, especially if recycling levels go up as we all hope they will.
Minimum tonnage
The tender documentation added: The Hertfordshire Waste Partnership (made up of the County Council and the 10 district councils) has an aspirational target of 60% recycling rate, this is widely considered the limit achievable for municipal wastes. The County Council has included within the contract provisions a minimum tonnage input of 180,000 tonnes a year which equates to a recycling rate of up to 75%, therefore allowing for significant increases in recycling should they be achieved.
The contract success means that Veolia will be providing waste treatment services in a county where it is already well-known, as it provides the water supply through Veolia Water.
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