Capable of handling 87,000 tonnes of residual waste a year, the plant will form part of an integrated waste management facility, which will also include a household waste re-use and recycling centre, materials recycling facility and education centre.
Edward Thomas, managing director of Veolia Environmental Services Southwark Ltd, said: “The new facility provides the opportunity for Southwark residents to recycle and recover waste within the borough and maximise landfill diversion.
“Thanks to continued efforts Southwark's recycling rate is up to 20% but the borough aims to be recycling 50% of waste by 2020.”
Enclosed
At the Old Kent Road site, all operations will be enclosed. Residual waste which enters the MBT plant will be shredded and ferrous metals will be removed by a magnet, while non-ferrous metals are removed by an eddy current separator. Screens and trommels will then remove the packaging element of the waste, including materials such as plastics and textiles.
The organic fraction of the waste will then be deposited in tunnels where it will be dried to reduce its mass and volume.
The plant is expected to use technology from preferred Dutch company WTT and will initially send its end product to the South East London Combined Heat and Power plant (SELCHP) in Lewisham, which could potentially provide heat energy for Southwark council.
However, as more markets for MBT residues opened up, it is hoped that Veolia will send material for other uses, such as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mr Thomas told letsrecycle.com that remediation work had already started at the Old Kent Road site, which is a former gas works, under a planning application which has already been approved. Veolia has also set up a community liaison group to discuss the proposals with local residents and environmental groups.
Subject to planning approval, construction will commence on the facility in 2009, with completion in 2011.
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