While the majority of the site's capacity will be used to process household municipal waste from across Cornwall, SITA proposes to make up any shortfall by diverting commercial and industrial waste from within the county away from landfill.
If built, the CERC will operate as a combined heat and power (CHP) facility, aiming to generate 16.6 megawatts of electricity, as well as supplying heat to the local china clay industry.
At the same time, 60,000 tonnes of bottom ash from the incinerator will be treated on-site, to extract any metals for recycling, before the remainder is used as an aggregate in road building.
Investment
SITA's energy from waste plans represent a key aspect of the £150 million investment the company plans to make in Cornwall's waste management infrastructure, after signing a 25-year PFI between Cornwall County Council and SITA Cornwall in 2006 (see letsrecycle.com story) .
SITA has claimed that the CERC will divert 90% of the county's residual waste away from landfill, ahead of the scheduled closure of the United Mines landfill site, in the west of the county, in 2010. A landfill at Connon Bridge has also been closed to new deposits since the start of this year.
David Buckle, project director for SITA Cornwall, said: “Even if Cornwall achieves the most optimistic rates for recycling, this facility is urgently needed to manage the waste that is left over.
“Without this facility, Cornwall will be in a desperate situation, not only in terms of somewhere to dispose of the waste, but also due to the huge cost of taxes that will be charged on every tonne of waste that is buried,” he added.
Opposition
Details of the plans were exhibited to local residents in January, with SITA Cornwall stating that it considered any comments and included them in the planning application.
However, there has been opposition to the building of an energy from waste incinerator at the St Dennis site since initial proposals were first revealed in 2005.
Organisations including the St Dennis Incinerator Group (STIG) and Friends of the Earth Cornwall have both expressed concerns over a new facility being given the go-ahead.
In particular, they have highlighted worries relating to emissions from the plant, the cost of its development to Cornish taxpayers and the impact of lorry traffic travelling to and from the site.
Consultation
Cornwall County Council revealed that, while SITA's proposal had been received, the potentially controversial nature of the application meant that a checking period would be necessary before a formal consultation on the plans began.
The council's executive member for Strategic Planning and Transport, Cllr Matt McTaggart, said: “We expect the proposals to generate much comment and debate, which is why it is important that the planning application is subject to a checking period to confirm whether we can register it and then progress to the public consultation period.
“It is too early to say when a final decision will be launched on the proposals, however, we will deal with the proposals as expeditiously as possible, ensuring that all views and comments on the proposals are fully considered,” he added.
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