The waste management firm submitted an application to lift the existing planning condition on the 242,000 tonnes-per-year capacity Newhaven plant on October 22, to ‘ensure the facility continues to operate at its optimum efficiency’.
The proposal outlined in the application is to ‘remove the catchment boundary restriction’ for importing more commercial waste from neighbouring counties, including Surrey and Kent.
Located on the banks of the Ouse Estuary, the Newhaven EfW plant began operations in June 2011 as part of a 30-year contract between Veolia and East Sussex county council and Brighton & Hove city council which ends in 2033 (see letsrecycle.com story).
At present, the facility processes around 210,000 tonnes of household residual waste and commercial waste per annum, and produces up to 19MW of power for the National Grid.
But Veolia has argued that an increase in recycling rates and a decrease in black bag waste across East Sussex means that it may be forced to ‘reduce electricity output’ if more feedstock is not made available.
Changes
Allan Key, general manager for Veolia in South Downs, said the lifting of the planning condition would not result in any physical changes to the EfW plant or an increase in the 242,000-tonne capacity.
Mr Key said: “The planning application submitted seeks permission for an extended catchment area outside East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. It requires the lifting of an existing planning condition but will not lead to any physical changes at the ERF or any increase to the existing 242,000tpa capacity.
“Energy demands are going to increase year on year. Facilities such as the one we have here in Newhaven recovers energy from waste that would otherwise be lost by going to out of county landfill. The plant is pivotal to the county’s carbon strategy and it is vital that it operates at optimum efficiency.”
Veolia also told letsrecycle.com that there would be ‘no increase’ in vehicle movements to and from the site, due to the way the waste is managed at transfer stations.
Consultation
Consultation over the proposals is due to start on November 7 2014, while East Sussex county council has confirmed the application is currently undergoing validation before it is submitted for consideration by planning committee.
A Veolia spokesperson added: “In order to continue to produce enough energy to power 25,000 homes continuously the facility needs to operate at its optimum efficiency, electricity output to the National Grid may reduce if it doesn’t.”
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