Waste treatment and renewable energy specialist New Earth Solutions has officially taken over phase one operations at its Avonmouth energy recovery facility (ERF), it was announced today.
The first in a series of planned energy plants, the ERF, which saw the firm roll out its first commercial deployment of New Earth Advanced Thermal (NEAT) technology, is a 120,000 tonnes-a-year capacity plant which has processed over 20,000 tonnes of refuse derived fuel (RDF) from its adjacent mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant since first power was exported earlier this year (see letsrecycle.com story).
NEAT Technology Group, which designed, built and commissioned the facility, will now turn its attention to phase two of the operations, which are set to commence in the coming weeks. When completed, the facility will generate some 13MW of renewable energy.
Darren Stockley, New Earths managing director, explained: We manage nearly half a million tonnes of waste annually. Exporting RDF to the continent provides a short-term solution to meet landfill diversion targets but our vision has always been to develop local energy solutions to complement our existing waste treatment infrastructure.
As well as the obvious benefits of being a renewable electricity generator, the new facility allows us to significantly reduce vehicle movements and the associated carbon impact.
He added: We are bidding on other contracts and over the next five years, New Earth aims to be generating around 60MW of renewable energy from waste.
Galashiels
New Earth 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.
‘We are bidding on other contracts and over the next five years, New Earth aims to be generating around 60MW of renewable energy from waste.’
Darren Stockley, New Earth Solutions’ managing director
The plant, to be based at Easter Langlee, will treat domestic and commercial residual waste which would previously have been sent to landfill. The cost of the facility has not been disclosed.
The waste will mainly be derived from the Scottish Borders region, with some coming from adjacent areas including Midlothain. New Earth has processed the councils mixed dry recyclables and green waste since April 2011, when it secured the estimated 80 million contract (see letsrecycle.com story).
The facility will also produce refuse derived fuel (RDF) for on-site renewable energy recovery using NEAT treatment technology. Up to 3MW of electricity each year will be produced at the facility, while heat will be available for a district heating scheme subject to permission from the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA).
Chimney
Construction is expected to begin in spring 2014 with the plant becoming operational in summer 2015. New Earth hopes the facility will provide jobs for around 30 staff.
The council also sought to allay concerns over a large 23 metre-high chimney, which will be a feature of the plant.
A spokesperson for Scottish Borders said: NEAT technology requires only a low level stack compared to other forms of thermal energy recovery technology however, due to the special landscape in the Borders area, additional care has been taken to specifically design it to blend in with the landscape and from most viewpoints it will be seen against a background of land, rather than sky.
Robert Asquith, New Earths planning and permitting director, commented: “The facility in Galashiels will be New Earth’s first project in Scotland.
Bringing forward an innovative and scalable solution, New Earth will help Scottish Borders Council work towards Scotland’s Zero Waste Plan by increasing landfill diversion, providing second-chance recycling and also generating renewable energy from the waste that cannot be recycled.”
Meanwhile the landfill site will continue to receive some municipal waste, albeit at a reduced rate.
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