Plans unveiled for Telford EfW plant

SITA UK plans to build the new facility in a joint initiative with technology provider Cyclerval UK, next to the Granville landfill site that it currently manages on behalf of Telford & Wrekin council.

A spokesman for SITA UK told letsrecycle.com this morning said that the plant would process all of the council's residual household waste, with the option of also taking in waste from elsewhere.

He said: “In its early years of operation, the plant will have the capacity to process all of Telford's residual municipal waste and some non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste.”

“The latter may be sourced from outside the immediate vicinity, but the plant's main objective is to provide a local solution to a local problem, making Telford and Wrekin independent in this respect,” he added.

While SITA currently holds the contract for Telford & Wrekin council's residual waste disposal, a council spokesman confirmed that this agreement did not directly relate to the authority providing residual waste for the EfW plant, indicating that discussions on that “would happen in the future”.

However, he  revealed that as part of the current arrangement, “there are options in the contract to extend it based on our waste disposal requirements”.

Technology

Cyclerval has proposed that the plant uses oscillating kiln technology to produce combined heat and power, similar to that used at its facility near to Grimsby, which opened in 2004.

Outlining the technology, the SITA spokesman explained: “It has been developed specifically over many years to provide a technologically and environmentally effective solution for smaller, community-scale plants.

“The design and operation of the oscillating kiln technology maximises environmental efficiency and effective disposal of the waste,” he added. “The input material does not require any further pre-treatment: residual waste can be fed directly into the kiln, where it remains for over an hour to achieve complete burn out.”

Once operational, it is hoped that the plant would generate about 3.5 mega watts of electricity and 10 mega watts of heat to be provided to local businesses.

The spokesman was unable to comment on the project's cost but confirmed that “we are likely to submit a planning application in early summer”.

If planning permission is granted, the plant's construction would is expected to take approximately two years, with a further four month commissioning period.

Consultation

Local councillors were briefed by SITA on the proposals on Wednesday (April 2), and councillor Steve Bentley, the cabinet member for the environment, commented: “While no application has yet been made, any interest in establishing an Energy from Waste facility will be looked at in terms of its merits and implications for the borough.

“We are also very keen that the whole issue of waste disposal is opened for consultation with the community at this very early stage,” he added.

SITA and Cyclerval have indicated that they will hold a series of public exhibitions before submitting a planning application to allow residents to comment on the project.

However, local group Telford and Wrekin Council Watch has already indicated its opposition to the EfW proposals, stating that “an incinerator must be avoided at all costs”.

They argue: “The residents of the borough must campaign hard against an incinerator, not only on the Granville, but also in Telford. The benefits of an incinerator will be few compared to the adverse affects on human health that can and will occur over decades.”

Shropshire

Alongside Shrewsbury and Atcham, Telford & Wrekin is one of two councils in Shropshire that is currently not covered by the Shropshire Waste Partnership's PFI contract with Veolia to provide waste and recycling services.

The contract, which was signed last year, includes proposals for an Energy from Waste plant in Shrewsbury (see letsrecycle.com story).