Viridor opens Peterborough ERF with ceremony

Delivered by Viridor, the £72 million Peterborough ERF in Fengate will serve the East Midlands city for the next 30 years, as part of a 30-year Public Private Partnership deal signed between the council and the waste firm in February 2013.

Peterborough, which produces an estimated 90,000 tonnes of waste per year, began sending its waste to the plant towards the end of 2015 – with operations fully commencing in January (see letsrecycle.com story).

The plant has capacity to generate 7.5MW of power for the National Grid – equivalent to around 15,000 homes. In addition, it is expected to reduce the amount of carbon produced in Peterborough by 10,000 tonnes per year.

The ERF, one of the last to come online as part of Viridor’s energy from waste facility roll out across the UK, was officially opened yesterday by the Rt Hon Lord Mawhinney Kt at a special ceremony on the Fengate site.

Opening

Commenting on the official opening, Dan Cooke, director of external affairs for Viridor, said: “I am pleased to see Peterborough Energy Recovery Facility delivered on time and on budget for our client.

“The project brings clear community benefits, providing local jobs and apprenticeships, low-carbon energy and clear economic benefits for our local authority partners in Peterborough. During the construction period alone over £9.8m was spent in the immediate vicinity of the facility, and local supply chain opportunities will continue during the operational life of the facility.”

Councillor John Holdich, of Peterborough city council, added: “It is fantastic to officially open Peterborough ERF today. The plant is a real asset, enabling the City of Peterborough to realise a zero to landfill solution for the coming decades, along with generating revenue through the sale of electricity generated by the facility delivering value for money for our residents.

“This positions the City strongly with the aspiration of becoming the UK’s Environment Capital. By leading the project the council will be able to benefit by saving £1m a year over the 30 years of the contract.”