Norfolk sceptical as Material Works gains funding

Around £100 million funding has been secured to construct a “groundbreaking” facility to treat King’s Lynn and West Norfolk borough council’s black bag waste, according to developer Material Works.

However, the project has been questioned by a Norfolk county councillor, who said he was “very sceptical” of what he referred to as the “untried and untested technology” being proposed.

The criticism comes in a battle over treatment solutions in Norfolk. The county council is backing construction of an energy-from-waste (EfW) plant by a Cory/Wheelabrator consortium while King’s Lynn and West Norfolk borough council want to use the proposed Material Works facility.

Chester-based company Material Works signed a 16-year contract with Kings Lynn and West Norfolk borough council in December 2012 to recycle 30,000 tonnes of residual waste and 5,000 tonnes of food from the borough (see letsrecycle.com story).

According to the firm, the proposed facility will use ‘Saltus’ and ‘Trinity’ processes combined with anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce construction products and other materials. And, in addition to the household waste, the facility will also process a further 35,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste.

Material Works said it had secured the bulk of funding needed for the proposed plant from a UK-based funder Pan Eurasia with Sri Lankan connections. This funding agreement will also see a similar £22.4 million plant built in Sri Lanka with a smaller capacity.

Work is now focused on gaining planning permission for the West Norfolk development, with two possible sites in King’s Lynn currently being considered by Material Works before it hopes to begin construction work in early summer 2014.

The firm said it was looking to acquire options on a site in three weeks’ time and would then lodge a planning application within the next two to three months.

Managing director of Material Works, Robert Billson commented: “This contract provides a landmark opportunity in waste management. The Saltus and Trinity processes, when combined with modern anaerobic digesters, produce a virtuous circle of energy and a wide range of sustainable products, which have already demonstrated their durability within the built environment.”

Mr Billson expects to charge around £55 per tonne in gate fees to process the waste at the facility, which could generate up to 200 new jobs.

Meanwhile the framework of the existing 16-year contract allows neighbouring councils to also enter into similar call-off contracts, potentially providing other Norfolk authorities with alternatives for treating their black bag waste.

Material Works said it would be inviting interest from other authorities as it has also secured funding for up to three further plants in Norfolk.

Currently, councils in Norfolk are set to send waste to the proposed Cory/Wheelabrator energy-from-waste (EfW) plant.

Vanguard plant

Additionally, Material Works, a special purpose vehicle created for the borough council contract, is aiming to construct a £3.5 million vanguard plant which will demonstrate the Saltus processes set to be used at the proposed King’s Lynn facility.

The 15,000 tonnes-per-year capacity plant is likely to be built in Wales where there is a permitted site available, although there is a possibility the plant could also be built in Norfolk, Mr Billson said.

Mr Billson told letsrecycle.com that the facility would be ready in May 2014 and would process commercial and industrial waste: “We are not short of offers of waste for these sorts of facilities as you can imagine because we are very competitive for gate fees.”

Material Works would also receive an income from the composite materials it makes at the plant.

Council differences

Norfolk county council and King’s Lynn borough council have long been at odds over the proposed Willows energy-from-waste (EfW) plant also set for Kings Lynn, which is being developed by consortium Cory/Wheelabrator.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles had been expected to make a planning decision on the EfW plant this week following a public inquiry last year, but a DCLG spokesman yesterday (January 14) simply said that a decision will be made by ministers “in due course”.

The borough council has been critical of the plans, leading to its alternative black bag waste solution via the 16-year contract with Material Works, while the county council decided to plough ahead with the Willows plant despite the withdrawal of £169 million Defra PFI funding in October 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Concerns

Norfolk county council and Cory/Wheelabrator have both raised concerns about the viability of the Material Works project.

During the Willows EfW public inquiry last summer, Simon Aumonier presented evidence on behalf of the Cory/Wheelabrator consortium which included three principal concerns.

These were, his evidence stated, that: “the technology is unproven for the intended feedstock; that there is no guarantee of a market for the products created; and that recycling rates would be considerably lower than claimed.”

And this week, county councillor David Harrison cabinet member for the environment, transport, development and waste said the Material Works plant would use “untried and untested” technology at an as yet unknown site.

He added that the proposed plant had also not yet received an environmental permit to operate, nor planning permission from which a planning inquiry may flow “which takes time, as we know”.

Councillor Harrison said: “I’m very sceptical about this latest development, given that this concept has already been around for about 18 months. A demonstrator project was reportedly meant to have been up and running in Norwich by April 2013 and there have not yet been any informal discussions with our planning officials.”

He added that the project was “clearly many years away from becoming a reality, whereas the Willows is shovel ready having passed a number of value for money tests and secured a permit to operate at a suitable site”.

End of Waste

However, these claims have been rebutted by Material Works. And, King’s Lynn borough council accepted a January 2013 independent technical review of the proposed Saltus and Trinity technologies carried out by Robin Plummer International Quality Management.

The review concludes that the processes are “scientifically sound for use with the typical mix of residual municipal solid waste and are planned subject to good manufacturing and engineering controls”, adding that there is a “viable commercial market available” for the products resulting from the facility.

Furthermore, managing director of Material Works, Robert Billson, told letsrecycle.com that this Saltus process achieved End of Waste status after a review by the Environment Agency (EA) in late 2013 and that its processes will deliver recycling rates in excess of 90%.

Mr Billson said: “We certainly are capable of taking municipal solid waste and converting the contents into building products. I dont think there is too much doubt anymore about our processes.”

He added: “After we achieved End of Waste late last year that was a major benchmark. I have never had any comment from anyone in the council raising concerns about our processes.”

Norfolk county council

Meanwhile, Norfolk county council continues to wait on communities secretary Eric Pickles planning decision for the proposed Willows energy-from-waste (EfW) plant, also at King’s Lynn.

As a result, county council leader George Nobbs has written to Mr Pickles outlining the impact of any planning decision delay on its budget considerations for the next financial year. If planning permission for the plant is refused, the council could be forced to pay more than £30 million compensation.

Councillor Nobbs commented: “Our cabinet is due to consider its budget position on January 27 before the council sets its budget just a few weeks later. So we need clarity urgently because there is so much at stake for Norfolk in terms of services, jobs and potentially council tax.”

However, a DCLG spokesman said: “A decision will be made by ministers in due course. At present, ministers are carefully considering all the evidence and detailed representations from a wide range of parties, following the receipt of the planning inspector’s report.”