Fire crews have tackled a fire processing plant this morning run by Public Power Solutions – a company owned by Swindon borough council – but the plant is expected to be back up and running by the weekend.
The Public Power site in Swindon
Ten crews from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service were called to the Public Power Solutions site on Darby Close, Cheney Manor Industrial Estate in Swindon at 12.20am this morning. The call related to a fire involving a conveyor belt within the waste plant, which produces solid recovered fuel.
Firefighters in breathing apparatus tackled the blaze using two main jets and a hose reel jet, and an on-site drenching system was also said to have helped stopped the fire spreading to other parts of the plant.
The fire was put out at 05:50 am and the last crews left at 08:45 am. It is believed to be caused by a piece of hot metal on the conveyor belt after being put through the drying process, the company has claimed.
The company’s managing director Bernie Brannan confirmed to letsrecycle.com that the site is still taking waste and shredding it, and the site will be fully operational by Monday at the latest.
Public Power Solutions
Public Power Solutions is a subsidiary of Swindon Borough council and was founded in 2010 and initially offered a wide range of services from waste and highways maintenance to construction of new facilities.
In 2013, Swindon Borough Council made a “strategic decision” to refocus the company on ‘sustainable energy solutions’ and waste treatment.
The company currently takes in all of Swindon’s municipal waste (50,000 tonnes) and the plant, which the council has extended its supply contract to 2025, has a theoretical capacity of 100,000 tonnes.
Public Power Solutions also takes some commercial waste, and collects residual material from household recycling centres which is then dried and shredded to produce an SRF product.
Opening
The site is currently closed but the fire was contained to the conveyor belt, and didn’t spread to the rest of the plant allowing it to be fixed quickly, the company has added.
A spokesperson for the Fire Service said that the on-site drenching system was working, “which helped to extinguish the fire”.
Mr Brannan added that the site has now been handed back from the fire brigade and the conveyor belt will be replaced before the site is fully reopened.
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Source: letsrecycle.com General
