With news on: Biffa achieves grading in safety audit; WRA welcomes boiler clarification; Greenergy invests in waste tyre biofuels project; UBB releases EfW video; and, Glennmont Partners sold.
Biffa achieves top grading in safety audit
Biffa has achieved a five star grading in the British Safety Council Audit, which it said “demonstrates its commitment towards the continual improvement of health and safety”.
The audit examined Biffa’s health and safety policies
As part of the audit, Biffa’s resources and energy division underwent a “comprehensive, quantified and robust evaluation” of its occupational health and safety policies.
It included a documentation review, interviews with senior management, employees and other stakeholders, together with sampling of operational activities.
Andrew Allum, divisional SHQ operations manager at Biffa, said: “We’re pleased to have achieved the five-star grading in this audit. We are committed to keeping our people and the public safe by ensuring safety is embedded within our culture and championed at all levels.
“This new five star grading takes us a step further towards our long-term commitment to create a zero harm environment, whereby there are no injuries or work related ill health across our workforce”.
WRA welcomes boiler clarification
The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) has welcomed clarification from the Government that non-domestic WID compliant RHI boilers are allowed to continue to use post-consumer waste wood as biomass fuel.
The WRA welcomed the move to allow some boilers to continue to use post-consumer waste wood
The announcement follows a consultation run by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the closure of the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme to new applicants, which is due to come into force on 31 March.
Richard Coulson, incoming chair of the WRA, said the announcement made last week was “common sense”.
Mr Coulson said: “Energy companies have invested millions of pounds in abatement technology to ensure compliance and safe handling of wood fuel in order to produce renewable energy. It made no sense to propose that non-domestic Chapter IV compliant boilers could not continue to use fuel derived from post-consumer waste wood.”
Greenergy invests in waste tyres biofuels project
Fuel distributor Greenergy announced that it has invested in an “advanced biofuels project” using waste tyres.
The project will use waste tyres to create ‘low carbon fuels’
The company said that by “utilising a combination of existing technologies”, the project will create “low carbon fuels” from waste tyre feedstock.
The project will work by converting waste tyres into “renewable drop-in advanced biofuels” that can be used in diesel, petrol and development fuels. The company said it will process up to 300 tonnes of shredded tyres a day.
Christian Flach, Greenergy chief executive, said: “ This milestone for the project is a key part of our strategy to expand our industry leading renewables business. Our customers will continue to benefit from our integrated approach to manufacturing and blending of renewable fuels.”
Gloucestershire releases EfW process video
Urbaser Balfour Beatty has released a video for residents in Gloucestershire explaining how residual waste is treated at its Javelin Park energy from waste facility.
The animated video which can be seen below describes the process of residual waste arriving to the plant and how it is processed.
Dan Pearson, general manager at the Gloucestershire EfW plant, said: “We’re delighted with our animation. We get a lot of questions about what we do here, how we turn waste into energy and, ultimately, how it is helping the environment.
“It is a complex process so we are pleased that this video provides a resource that simply and effectively explains the process”.
Glennmont Partners sold to asset management firm
Glennmont Partners, which owns the Port Clarence and Margam Green biomass plants, has been sold to the US-based asset management firm Nuveen.
The Port Clarence biomass plant is owned by Glennmont Partners
According to a statement from Nuveen, the transaction for an undisclosed amount is expected to close during the first quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approval, and will see Nuveen take a 100% stake in Glennmont.
The company added that the transaction will “enhance Nuveen’s existing private infrastructure platform” and aims to “accelerate Glennmont’s growth in 2021 with a suite of new products”.
Joost Bergsma, managing partner and CEO of Glennmont Partners, said: “My co-founders and I are delighted to be entering into this agreement with Nuveen, where we can continue our growth and deliver strong performance for investors from assets across new geographies in the US and Asia.”
A spokesperson for the company says the deal will not impact either of the plants, adding that the team at Glennmont “are still working hard to find a positive outcome for the project”.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
