Yorkshire autoclave plant to double capacity

The London-based firm yesterday (January 19) said it would increase the capacity of household waste treated at its South Yorkshire site to 200,000 tonnes-a-year after receiving approval from Rotherham borough council for the plans earlier this month (January 8).

The facility currently processes household waste under a seven-year agreement with Rotherham council, Barnsley council and Doncaster council and is expected to reach its annual capacity of 100,000 tonnes by spring 2009.

Sterecycle intends to invest £10 million to increase capacity at the facility, which opened in August 2008, with work due to be completed by 2010.

Duncan Grierson, chief executive of Sterecycle, said: “With the Rotherham plant now operational, Sterecycle has achieved a world first by bringing this clean technology to commercial use in the waste management industry. The granting of planning permission to double our capacity is a further endorsement of our technology and strategy.”

“We are delighted that we will be able to strengthen the local economy with the creation of further jobs as well as contribute to Yorkshire's successful recycling efforts. Our technology offers a clean alternative to landfilling of waste and produces a terrific material for the generation of renewable energy. As such, Sterecycle provides a benchmark for new solutions to the problem of household waste,” he added.

The expansion is also expected to add a further 20 jobs to the current 34-strong workforce at the former British Steel site.

The facility uses steam to treat household and commercial waste, and the company claims that it is able to divert 70% of waste from landfill by sorting into a variety of reusable materials and an organic, compost-like material.

When plans for the facility were unveiled in August 2007 it was believed to be one of the first plants of its kind in Europe to treat black bag waste with autoclave technology (see letsrecycle.com story).

The company claims to have amassed a credit facility of around £70 million, which it intends to use to build at least three autoclave facilities in the UK over the next three years (see letsrecycle.com story).

And, the firm said it has, to date, raised a total of £22 million of funding from shareholders including blue chip institutional investors Goldman Sachs, Fidelity International, Impax Environmental and Ailsa3Ventures.