Two vie to win funding for London fridge plant

London Remade, which has support from government and London local authorities, has received written proposals from EMR and a consortium led by the Michael Baker Group and said that it will make its decision early next year as the ozone depleting substances (ODS) regulations come into force on January 1. The Michael Baker Group wants to use land at London Waste's Edmonton incinerator site.

Hugh Carr Harris, chief executive of London Remade, said that he had been really impressed with the proposals and that he was currently waiting for more specific information about different sites. He said: “We have got really good proposals and need to move quickly because we want to get the funding out this financial year. But we want to make sure we choose the right financial partner.”

Last week, the North London Waste Authority (NLWA) – which has a share in London Waste which owns the Edmonton site – agreed to continue looking at a proposal submitted to it by the Michael Baker Group and consultants DARP Environmental. The plans could see the consortium deal with all the waste fridges and freezers within the M25. And, DARP would take on a training role and help develop electronics recycling as well.

Successful

It looks likely that NLWA will now send waste fridges and freezers from the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest to any successful project at Edmonton.

The Michael Baker Group has already ordered a German Erdwich refrigeration recycling plant and said that it could construct a fridge plant capable of processing 300,000 refrigeration units a year on the Edmonton site.

But Paul Egan, of London Waste, said: “We are considering all options, we haven’t made any decisions and haven’t signed up to any consortium.” London Waste’s major concern is that a fridge recycling plant would take up seven acres of its site. Mr Egan added: “It would take up quite a lot of ground and is a big commitment.”

Mr Egan added that the waste management company was holding talks with the Michael Baker Group as well as EMR and Powys-based Evans Logistics which has bought a mobile fridge recycling unit.

The Michael Baker Group is also in talks with other waste management companies including Cleanaway, Shanks and the Waste Recycling Group.