Waste management and renewable energy company New Earth Solutions yesterday (April 18) signed its first Scottish contract, securing a 24-year deal worth around 80 million to treat Scottish Borders councils residual household waste.
The contract is set to focus on the development of a 45,000 tonne-a-year capacity mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility to be developed at the councils Easter Langlee site, in Galashiels.
In total, 65,000 tonnes-a-year of waste will be covered by the contract, which New Earth was originally named as preferred bidder for in January 2011 (see letsrecycle.com story)
The deal also involves processing kerbside-collected mixed dry recyclables and composting green waste. These contracts will be subcontracted to J&B Recycling and Forth Resource Management respectively, initially for seven years but with the potential for renewal.
New Earth said that the state-of-the-art MBT process to be used at the site would divert waste from landfill in line with the Scottish Governments Zero Waste policy and also help Scottish Borders to increase its recycling rates by recovering metals and plastics.
Welcome
The contract signing was welcomed by Councillor Len Wyse, Executive Member for Environmental Services at Scottish Borders council, who said: We are pleased to sign the contract today with New Earth Solutions following a two year procurement process for this new treatment plant.
The contract will help Scottish Borders Council meet the legislative recycling and diversion targets of the Scottish Government and the European Union.
New Earth plans to have the facility up-and-running within 18 months, claiming that New Earth has a proven capability in developing major new waste treatment infrastructure projects quickly.
Planning consent for has already been secured for the MBT facility to be built at the Easter Langlee site with construction due to commence in September this year.
The latest Scottish Environment Protection Agency recycling figures, for the rolling year October 2009 to September 2010, show that Scottish Borders council recycled 38.3% of the municipal solid waste it collected.
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