North Yorkshire county council and the City of York council are to seek the Private Finance Initiative support from Defra to build 150 million worth of waste treatment facilities.
” We are not committed to any technology and we are keen to see what the market will throw up. But we want to reduce our reliance on landfill. “
– Ian Fielding, North Yorkshire CC
Subject to approval from councillors, expected to come next week, the PFI bid could pave the way for a new 25-year waste treatment contract. It would aim to reduce the district's reliance on landfill, which is the “predominant” disposal method for the 500,000 tonnes of waste produced by householders each year.
If Defra agrees to the PFI support, the councils could start the search for a new waste management contractor in February next year.
Exact treatment technologies for the contract will depend on bids from interested companies. But in seeking funding, the councils have suggested to Defra that they could build some form of mechanical biological treatment plant by 2010 and an energy-from-waste facility by 2013.
Ian Fielding, assistant director at North Yorkshire county council, told letsrecycle.com: “We are not committed to any technology and we are keen to see what the market will throw up. But we want to reduce our reliance on landfill in accordance with the Landfill Directive.”
“Positive”
Mr Fielding said the councils had already received positive feedback from the government on an expression of interest made concerning a PFI bid.
He said: “Defra is very keen to see joint procurement and we have a high level of waste allowing for some economies of scale, which should satisfy many of the government's criteria.”
North Yorkshire recycles 30% of its waste at present, giving it no difficulties in meeting its Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) obligations.
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However, Mr Fielding said: “We expect to have a LATS deficit by about 2009 so until the new waste facility is up and running we will trade allowances, invest in waste minimisation, and short-term waste stabilisation.”
The council revealed that the county-owned waste firm Yorwaste, which currently provides landfill and recycling services in North Yorkshire and York, was “not likely” to bid for the contract.
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