New Earth Solutions to build Dorset EfW plant

Waste treatment firm New Earth Solution has been granted planning permission for an energy-from-waste (EfW) facility in Dorset, that will thermally treat refuse derived fuel (RDF) produced at an existing facility nearby.

The facility in Canford will have the capacity to treat around 80,000 tonnes of RDF per year via gasification and pyrolysis. Most of the fuel will be sourced from the firms mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility on the same development.

Construction work on the EfW facility is expected to begin in 2014, with the plant then expected to be fully operational in 2015. The plant would produce around 10MW of energy annually, which would be enough to supply around 20,000 homes.

Technology used at the facility will be similar to that used in the firms Avonmouth Energy Recovery Facility (ERF), which became fully operational in September 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story). The 120,000 tonnes per year capacity Avonmouth facility can produce up to 13MV of renewable energy.

Capacity

New Earths managing director Darren Stockley, said: By producing RDF from the waste which cant be recycled we have successfully diverted more away from landfill. Now we need to make sure we are making the most of that RDF and have sufficient energy recovery capacity for its use within the UK.

By closing this loop, New Earth is increasing the environmental value that can be recovered from all the waste it treats. Following the successful commissioning of our 13MW ERF in Avonmouth, we can now begin to roll the NEAT technology out to other facilities around the UK.

Waste treated at New Earths Canford MBT facility is sourced via New Earths residual waste treatment contracts with Bournemouth borough council and the Dorset Waste Partnership.

MBT

The plant was found to be among the best performing MBT facilities in England, diverting over 70% of the waste it received from landfill in 2011/12, according to data uncovered by letsrecycle.com in February 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Currently RDF produced at the site is being exported to an EfW plant in Rotterdam, but New Earth Solutions believes that by building and operating its own facility it will benefit from reduced transport costs and generate revenue from the production of energy.

The firm is also set to build a 60,000 tonne capacity waste treatment and ERF in Galashiels as part of a 24-year contract with the Scottish Borders council. The plant, to be based at Easter Langlee, will treat domestic and commercial residual waste which would previously have been sent to landfill.