Three Scottish councils have today (7 March) confirmed their preferred bidder for a contract to build and operate a 150,000-tonnes per year energy from waste plant in Aberdeen.
A consortium involving the construction firm Acciona and waste firm Indaver are in line for the ‘Ness Energy Project Residual Waste Treatment’ contract, which is being procured by Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils.
Artists impression of the 150,000 tonnes per year East Tullos facility
Acciona will build the plant and Indaver will then operate the plant for a 20-year contract period. Indaver currently owns and operates EfW facilities in Ireland, Belgium and Netherlands.
After being confirmed as the preferred bidder last month (see letsrecycle.com story) Moray council and Aberdeen council members gave their approval at separate meetings on Monday (March 4) and Aberdeenshire council today agreed the award and the inter authority agreement which defines how they will work together.
The councils will continue to work with the contractor towards contract award, they said in a statement today.
The plant is due to is to be built by 2022 in the East Tullos area of Aberdeen and planning permission was granted in October 2016.
Landfill
All three councils have described delivery of the plant as crucial to their future residual waste infrastructure needs, ahead of a ban on sending biodegradable waste to landfill which comes into effect in Scotland in 2021.
“At present, our residual waste is shipped abroad with others benefitting from the energy produced. This facility gives us control of that energy with the heat produced feeding a local district heating scheme which will contribute to the alleviation of fuel poverty in the city.”
Cllr Philip Bell
Aberdeen city council
The three councils decided to work together in 2015 to secure a long-term waste management solution for the north-east with the tender notice issued early 2017.
Commenting on the latest step in the contract’s progress, Aberdeen’s environmental spokesperson Councillor Philip Bell, said: “Selecting a preferred supplier is a significant milestone. The ban on landfilling waste in 2021 is a major concern for councils across Scotland and this facility is integral to Aberdeen city council’s plans for waste management alongside significant investment in waste reduction and recycling.
“At present, our residual waste is shipped abroad with others benefitting from the energy produced. This facility gives us control of that energy with the heat produced feeding a local district heating scheme which will contribute to the alleviation of fuel poverty in the city.”
‘Critical’
Chair of Moray council’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, Councillor Graham Leadbitter, added: “The NESS energy project is critical to Moray council’s waste management plans as we move towards the stopping of landfilling in Scotland.
“This is a large and complex engineering project supported by the three north-east councils and it is great that we have reached a further major milestone with the selection of a preferred bidder.
“This follows many months of detailed design and costings work and I commend the efforts of the project team on pulling it together. Investment in this Energy from Waste plant will ensure that we are squeezing out the greatest energy from the residual waste whilst maximising our recycling.”
Consortia comprising FCC and the energy from waste specialist HZI, MVV and Baumgarte, and a Suez partnership with the industrial engineering group CNIM had also been involved in the procurement.
Related Links
Acciona
Indaver
Ness Energy Project
The post Councils agree on preferred bidder for Aberdeen EfW appeared first on letsrecycle.com.
Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
