Newport to Get WRG Energy from Waste Facility
2010-01-19 from:China Environmental Business author:
That Energy from Waste is by far the most popular waste technology for the UK’s top waste management companies for landfill diversion after recycling is again being demonstrated by this announcement from WRG.
Waste management and energy recovery company, Waste Recycling Group (WRG), has entered into an exclusivity agreement with chemical company Solutia UK Limited to build an Energy from Waste facility (EfW) on land at Solutia’s headquarters, off Corporation Road, Newport, South Wales, UK.
The proposal is in response to the requirements of Prosiect Gwyrdd (Project Green), which aims to provide the five local authorities of Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, Caerphilly, Newport and Monmouthshire with a solution to the long-term management of its municipal waste while reducing the reliance on landfill.
The Project has begun a procurement process, inviting private companies to bid for the contract, offering their own individual solutions to the problem. The complex process is expected to take two years, with Prosiect Gwyrdd discussing companies’ bids with them until the summer of 2011 before announcing a preferred bidder that autumn, and planning for the winning project beginning in 2012.
Modern EfW incineration is an essential part of sustainable waste and resource management strategies. Apart from helping the five councils to meet their waste management targets, the scheme will also offer benefits for the Government’s renewable energy and carbon reduction commitments.
EfW is a safe and effective way of diverting residual municipal waste from landfill and produces valuable and renewable energy by reducing the use of fossil fuels, such as oil, coal and gas for generating power.
Modern, efficient EfW incineration is used extensively across Europe to meet the challenge of driving more value out of waste and resources. Waste policy at European level and in the UK supports the approach of setting high recycling rates together with the use of EfW incineration for the waste that remains after recycling. Currently, EfW plants in Europe can supply 12 million people with electricity and 11 million people with heat.
The scheme being considered by WRG has the potential for supporting a district heating system by using the steam created through the burning of the local municipal waste, and Solutia itself has expressed an interest in receiving electricity and steam generated by the plant once it is up and running.
Solutia has already installed two 2.5-megawatt wind turbines on the site as part of a plan to source its energy needs in ways which will reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and lower its carbon dioxide emissions, and has welcomed the WRG initiative.
“Anything which helps reduce our operating costs in this difficult economic climate will also clearly contribute to the security of employment on the site,” said a spokesperson. “So whilst it is still very early days, there are many good reasons for being excited about the potential of this project.”
WRG aims to submit a planning application in the summer of 2010 for the proposed facility, which would potentially be ready to start operation in 2014. WRG and Solutia are committed to ensuring that there will be full public consultation with local residents, statutory bodies and other interested groups.