The contract covers management of civic amenity sites, new waste transfer stations, composting plants and materials recycling facilities and, possibly, future energy-from-waste provision.
The seven companies submitting tenders are Biffa Waste Services, Cory Environmental, HLC Waste, Focsa, Shanks Waste Services, SITA UK and Viridor Waste.
The detailed bids will now undergo evaluation by the county council, which plans to announce a shortlist of four companies by the end of next week.
Dr Niranjan Patel of Cornwall county council told letsrecycle.com: “We have received seven outline bids and we are currently assessing them. We are looking to appoint by the end of next week four companies for the shortlist.”
Dr Patel explained that so far there have been no problems with the tendering process and the council still has a deadline of August 2005 for the start of the contract.
Support
The government approved 25 million in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) credits last June to support new waste infrastructure in Cornwall's 25-year integrated waste contract.
As part of the PFI deal, the successful bidder will have to meet challenging targets for waste management in the county including a target to recycle 40% 2010-11. In 2002-03, Cornwall county council reached a recycling rate of 17.7% up from 11% in 2001-02.
The successful bidder will also have the option to purchase the county council's waste management company County Environmental Services. This company currently holds the existing contracts with the council to be replaced by the new integrated contract and has assets including civic amenity sites, transfer stations and landfill sites.
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