25 June 2008
Pioneering £13m Waste Plant Launched Today
A unique £13 million pilot waste treatment and recycling plant
designed to divert significant volumes of household waste from
landfill officially opened in Knowsley today (Wednesday 25
June).
The pioneering facility in Huyton, Merseyside, is the first of
its kind in the UK. It uses a process which converts household and
commercial waste into refined renewable biomass fuel products and
recovered mixed recyclable materials.
The £13m facility has been developed by Merseyside Waste
Disposal Authority (MWDA) in partnership with engineering company
Orchid Environmental, the Northwest Regional Development Agency
(NWDA), Envirolink Northwest and Defra (Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs).
MWDA Director, Carl Beer said: “Merseyside produces almost
700,000 tonnes of waste a year. We see this as a valuable resource
and we want to recover some of that value from waste which hasn’t
been recycled at the kerbside.
“This is a unique demonstration project and we’re confident it
will prove to be an invaluable part of the overall solution – and
not just for Merseyside. The entire waste management industry is
eagerly awaiting results of the technology we’re using.”
The facility, on Huyton Business Park in Knowsley, is operated
by North West-based Orchid Environmental Ltd. It uses a low
temperature technology known as mechanical heat treatment to
convert waste into a renewable biomass fuel. This fuel can then be
used as a sustainable alternative to expensive and diminishing
reserves of fossil fuels in order to generate power and heat in
various types of combustion plants elsewhere.
Orchid Managing Director, Steve Whatmore, said: “Orchid is proud
to be associated with this showcase of its technologies and
celebrates the dawn of a new era in waste recycling and
recovery.”
The facility includes a visitor centre designed to support
MWDA’s Education and Awareness programme and was officially opened
today by Councillor Kevin Cluskey, Chairperson of MWDA, and Hugh
Hoather, President of the Chartered Institution of Wastes
Management.
Councillor Kevin Cluskey said: “We hope this facility will prove
itself as a modern solution to waste management over the next few
years. It is the unique thinking behind the technology which could
help Merseyside to tackle its waste mountain.”
Ends
Quality images of the event and images illustrating the facility
are available on request.
Note to Editors
• This waste plant is one of 8 projects in Defra's New
Technologies Demonstrator Programme. The programme aims to
demonstrate innovative waste treatment technologies as alternatives
to landfill, and prove their economic, social and environmental
viability. http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/wip/newtech/index.htm
• The pilot waste project in Huyton is a partnership
between MWDA, Orchid Environmental Ltd, Defra and the North West
Development Agency. It is capable of diverting up to 40000 tonnes
of waste a year from landfill.
• MWDA is a local government body with nine elected members
from the five constituent councils in Merseyside. It organises and
manages disposal of all waste collected by the five councils and
operates 14 Household Waste Recycling Facilities.
• MWDA is in the midst of a £3.3 billion programme to
procure facilities able to handle the region’s waste management
needs over the next 25 years.
Further information from Jon Flinn on 0151 709 0505