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Work starts on 300,000tpa Staffordshire EfW plant

Work officially got underway this week on a 300,000 tonne-a-year capacity energy-from-waste incinerator in Staffordshire which will burn residual waste from across the West Midlands.

Veolia Environmental Services is developing the plant under a 25-year, 1 billion PFI-funded residual waste treatment contract which it signed with Staffordshire county council in July 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).

Tom Spaul from Veolia Environmental Services UK (front) and (l-r) Christophe Riegert from CNIM, Staffordshire council leader Philip Atkins and Clugston Group chief executive Stephen Martin
Tom Spaul from Veolia Environmental Services UK (front) and (l-r) Christophe Riegert from CNIM, Staffordshire council leader Philip Atkins and Clugston Group chief executive Stephen Martin

While Staffordshire is expected to provide 130,000 tonnes of residual waste for the plant each year, the facility will also take 60,000 tonnes-a-year from Sandwell metropolitan borough council, 40,000 tonnes from Warwickshire county council and 50,000 tonnes from Walsall metropolitan borough council.

Veolia received planning permission to build the facility at Four Ashes in the south of Staffordshire in February 2011 after modifying its proposals to include a smaller chimney stack and lower roof (see letsrecycle.com story). Work is now being carried out on site by specialist construction firm CNIM Clugston.

The plant will produce 23MW of energy, which will be enough to power 30,000 homes.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony this week, Staffordshire county council leader, Philip Atkins, said: We are committed to innovative approaches which make the most of the private sectors entrepreneurial energy. Thats why the relationship with Veolia Environmental Services is so important. But its also all about cross border public sector co-operation.

This plant will help neighbouring councils in Walsall, Sandwell and Warwickshire to handle their non-recyclable residual waste, and ensure that the Staffordshire plant can operate at maximum efficiency and minimising costs for residents.

Exciting

Tom Spaul, chief operating officer and executive director of Veolia Environmental Services (UK) Plc, said the start of work on site was an exciting moment for Veolia.

He said: We have dedicated significant resources to developing the most efficient, cost effective, sustainable and environmentally sophisticated solution to Staffordshires residual waste problems. Backed by our local team, this project is very important to us and now we are looking forward to bringing this technology on stream as soon as possible.

Stephen Martin, Clugston Group chief executive, described the project as one of the most challenging and exciting projects of its kind in the UK today.

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Veolia in Staffordshire

He added: We are really looking forward to working on this facility with our technology partner CNIM and our local supply chain. This will bring real benefits in terms of both jobs and boosting the countys economy.

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