According to Renewi (formerly Shanks in the UK which has merged with Dutch firm Van Gansewinkel), the ‘major fire’ caused extensive damage to the sorting halls, however, the main Icopower facility, which manufactures fuel pellets from waste, has not been damaged.
The company said there were no injuries, and the fire service, supported by Renewi colleagues, brought the fire under control and were able to prevent further damage.
Fire Brigade
Amsterdam Fire Brigade confirmed it attended the fire at the waste management company and the fire started at around 7.30pm.
The Brigade said: “The fire developed very quickly and was accompanied by a huge smoke development. The dark smoke cloud was seen over a wide area.” People in the area affected by the smoke were advised to close windows and doors.
The Brigade noted, that apart from the smoke, no increased concentrations of hazardous substances had been measured in Amsterdam and neighbouring regions.
(YouTube video produced by Dutch media De Telegraaf)
According to the Brigade, at 5.30pm on Sunday the fire was yet to be extinguished. It said: “It is still unclear how the fire originated. The cause of the fire is being investigated.”
Icova
In a statement on its website, Icova said the Fire Brigade let the fire burn out in a “controlled manner” and as of Tuesday evening (30 May) the company confirmed the fire had been fully extinguished.
Renewi has moved to assure customers that it has other sorting facilities available. It said: “Good teamwork and planning have enabled Renewi to continue to serve our customers by using our nearby locations. We do not believe that there is a material uninsured loss arising from this event and we expect to be able to continue to serve our customers as usual.”
[Update] Renewi noted that the plants do not handle material exported from the UK.
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