But, in other regions there will remain a significant opportunity for investment for many years to come, the consultancy has found.
The report models the quantity of residual (mixed) waste generated, from household, commercial and industrial sources, against existing and forthcoming treatment infrastructure to determine where capacity gaps exist across Great Britain. The treatment technologies considered include incineration, gasification, pyrolysis, mechanical-biological treatment (MBT), autoclaving and Waste Incineration Directive (WID) compliant biomass facilities.
The research shows a current annual capacity gap across Great Britainof 22 million tonnes, based on 35 million tonnes of residual waste arisings and 13 million tonnes of treatment capacity currently in operation or under construction.
The future potential capacity gap for GB has also been modelled, which shows that the initial capacity gap will continue to narrow as rates of recycling increase and further treatment facilities come forward, such that GB is likely to be in a situation of overcapacity by 2020. Furthermore, analysis and modelling of regional future capacity gaps is also undertaken, which shows a very different picture across different parts of the country.
The report was launched at the Investing in Resource Recovery event at the London Stock Exchange this morning – an event whosted by the London Environmental Investment Forum.
Report lead author, Adam Baddeley, said: The research shows that, in some regions, there may be an over-supply of treatment infrastructure by 2015. In other regions however, it appears that there will remain significant opportunities for investment for many years to come.
This information will enable investors, project developers, local waste authorities, technology providers, waste management companies, utility companies and other stakeholders to quickly determine whether a particular project is likely to be able to secure sufficient waste input which in turn will inform consentability and bankability.
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The data presented draws upon Eunomias in-house research, which is updated on an ongoing basis. Eunomias databases hold information on every residual treatment facility in the country, including data on facility capacity, electrical output, current feedstocks and municipal contracts held.
A large part of this research is now available free of charge, whilst a more detailed regional assessment is available for online purchase. Both will be updated bi-annually and are available on Eunomias website.
Key findings:
| Region | Residual waste treatment capacity operational or in construction (tonnes pa) |
|---|---|
| London | 2,300,000 |
| South East | 2,300,000 |
| South West | 400,000 |
| North East | 1,000,000 |
| North West | 1,800,000 |
| East Midlands | 900,000 |
| West Midlands | 1,300,000 |
| East of England | 1,000,000 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 700,000 |
| Wales | 600,000 |
| Scotland | 700,000 |
Source: Eunomia Residual Waste Infrastructure Report: High Level Analysis
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