The Wilton energy from waste (EfW) facility on Teeside was officially opened last week by Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and Suez recycling and recovery UK.
The facility manages the household waste generated daily across Merseyside and Halton.
According to Suez, waste – which otherwise would have gone to landfill – is brought to the state-of-the-art facility on the Wilton International Industrial Estate where it is treated to generate enough electricity to power 63,000 homes.
(l-r) Chief executive of Suez UK, David Palmer-Jones; deputy chairperson of MRWA, Cllr Tony Concepcion; head of Sembcorp’s UK utilities business, Nomi Ahmad; and, chief executive of MRWA, Carl Beer
Steam generated is also exported to local industries at Wilton on the Wilton International Industrial Estate, Suez said.
Partnership
Suez works in partnership with MRWA and other local organisations, including Sembcorp Utilities UK, which distributes power to industrial firms on the Wilton International site.
Residual waste from around Merseyside and Halton arrives at the Knowsley Rail Transfer Loading Station on Merseyside, operated by Suez, where it is sent by rail container to the Wilton facility. Transporting residual waste by rail, according to Suez, “saves the equivalent of 1,000 HGV journeys and offsets around 127,000 tonnes of CO2 each year”
The official opening of the Wilton EfW facility was marked by a tree-planting and plaque presentation.
The partnership between Suez (formerly SITA) and Sembcorp UK to develop a £200 million EfW incinerator at Wilton was announced in 2010 (see letsrecycle.com story).
And, MRWA signed a 30-year Resource Recovery Contract with MERL – a consortium consisting of waste contractor Suez, Sembcorp UK and investment firm I-Environment – in 2013, worth up to 1.2 billion (see letsrecycle.com story).
However, the facility faced a setback which led to MWA ‘swiftly’ seeking out interim disposal arrangements last year (see letsrecycle.com story).
‘Pleased’
Commenting on the opening, MRWA deputy chairperson, Cllr Tony Concepcion, said: “We’re pleased to be here in Teesside opening our new Energy form Waste facility today. It’s been a long process for the Authority to ensure that this facility and the contract for Merseyside and Halton’s waste are both value for money and the most sustainable option for our taxpayers for many years to come.
“We’d like to thank MERL and Suez, Sembcorp and all of the many other partners, contractors and sub-contractors who have contributed to getting us to this point today.”
“At the heart of this project sits both collaboration but more importantly a spirit of partnership which has created a firm foundation and an innovative solution for MRWA’s residual waste.”
David Palmer-Jones
Suez UK
Chief executive of Suez UK, David Palmer-Jones, said: “At the heart of this project sits both collaboration but more importantly a spirit of partnership which has created a firm foundation and an innovative solution for MRWA’s residual waste. Huge complex infrastructure projects like the Wilton EfW facility, requires the skills and dedication of many people to make them a reality but equally the vision of politicians who are entrusted by their constituents to provide long term stable solutions for the waste generated.”
Teeside
Nomi Ahmad, head of Sembcorp’s UK utilities business, said: “Wilton energy-from-waste facility is a plant that embodies everything that is good about why firms should invest in Teesside.
“It is a testament to the “can do” attitude of the people of this area and delivers not just what our existing and future customers need – reliable supplies of low carbon power and steam – but also what society needs – the sustainable re-use of a former waste product as a sustainable fuel for power generation.”
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
