The contract, backed by 34m in Private Finance Initiative credits from the government, is now likely to be finalised and signed on the December 11.
” SITA has a target to recycle 45% of our waste by 2020 and are being incentivised to go above that. “
– Paul Jones, Northumberland CC
Over the 28 years of the contract, SITA will be tasked to help Northumberland meet its tightening limits on the landfilling of biodegradable waste. Under the government's Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, the county's limit this year of 119,141 tonnes drops to 72,823 tonnes in 2010.
By 2020, the county will be allowed to landfill just 33,941 tonnes of biodegradable municipal waste each year.
Councillor Alan Cutter, executive member for environment and regeneration, said: “Northumberland is already leading the way in the North East on recycling, having achieved nearly 30% in 2005/6 – the second top performing council in the region. This project will vastly improve on this performance. We have a duty to future generations to be more environmentally friendly with our waste and reduce the amount that is buried in landfill sites.”
The agreement to sign the contract marks the beginning of the end for a rocky procurement process, in which SITA remained the only bidder after two rival companies withdrew their proposals (see letsrecycle.com story).
As a result, Northumberland had to compare SITA's proposals with other proposals for similar contracts in other counties to demonstrate its value for money. Northumberland has been in contact with Defra during the course of 2006 to ensure that the county is going down the best route for the PFI contract.
Improvement
Plans for the contract include the improvement of existing services in the county, while SITA is also to build a new materials recycling facility. As well as expanding the Tees Valley energy-from-waste plant, SITA will also be building a new transfer station and upgrading existing household waste recycling centres across the county.
The council is in the process of seeking land suitable for new waste facilities, and preparing planning applications for sites, with hopes that all sites will be developed by June 2009.
According to Paul Jones, head of waste management for Northumberland, SITA will be recovering at least 92% of the waste produced by householders in the county by 2009 through both recycling and energy-from-waste incineration.
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He told letsrecycle.com: “Our district councils all have two bin systems for dry recyclables and are beginning to offer kerbside boxes to collect glass. SITA has a target to recycle 45% of our waste by 2020 and are being incentivised to go above that.
“But they will also be upgrading our existing energy from waste plant and by 2009 we will have a recovery rate of 92%,” he added.
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