Guardian gets the lowdown on waste plans (From Middlewich Guardian)

Guardian gets the lowdown on waste plans

9:30am Saturday 25th July 2009 in Search Exclusive By Frances Kindon

WITH numerous proposals for various waste plants floating around mid Cheshire, no one could be blamed for feeling confused.

Here the Guardian aims to untangle the web of information and explain exactly what is proposed by who.

Bedminster International, Covanta, Viridor and Resource Recovery Solutions (RRS) are all names you will be familiar with.

Both Bedminster and Covanta plan to treat commercial waste, mostly that from businesses and industry, while Viridor and RRS want to deal with household waste.

Only one company will be selected to handle household waste as it all hinges on winning Cheshire’s £850million waste contract.

But in theory there is nothing to stop both Bedminster and Covanta setting up plants to take in commercial waste as they find their own contracts.

To make it simple, we will deal with the commercial and household plans seperately.

HOUSEHOLD

Why do we need a waste plant?

The Government ordered local councils to find a more sustainable way of disposing of household waste rather than landfill.

Cheshire already recycles around 47 per cent of household waste – just three percent short of its 2020 target.

But landfill space is running out and landfill tax is rising. That combined with the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on global warming means a new way needs to be found to deal with the remaining 200,000 tonnes of waste generated each year.

So what did the council do?

The former Cheshire County Council, now divided into Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester, invited companies to come to them with proposals, before shortlisting Viridor and RRS.

What happens now?

The two companies are holding public information days to get residents’ views on things like traffic and appearance. Both say comments made by the public at this stage will help shape the final proposal.

Both will submit a planning application in early autumn, and the public will be given a chance to comment as part of a public consultation.

The two councils will decide who gets the contract by the end of the year, and the winning facility will be up and running by 2012.

At this stage, neither company says it plans to build a plant unless it gets the contract.

And what are they suggesting?

VIRIDOR

UK waste management company Viridor wants to build a mechanical and biological waste treatment plant at the Ineos Chlor site off Griffiths Road in Lostock.

If it wins the council contract it would treat 200,000 tonnes of household waste a year, brought in from transfer stations in Crewe, Macclesfield and Ellesmere Port.

Waste from Middlewich, Winsford and Northwich would be transported straight to the plant.

Recyclables will be taken from the waste before air is pumped through it to dry it out and create a solid fuel, the process is like a fast version of composting.

This will be sent via train to an energy from waste plant (incinerator) in Runcorn where it will be burned to create energy for the neighbouring Ineos plant which currently uses two per cent of the total UK energy each year.

Bedminster has already secured the use of the site next-door and owns the rail head which this proposal relies on.

Viridor predicts 112 vehicle movements will be added to the roads each day, and 45 jobs will be created.

The web address is viridor.co.uk.

RESOURCE RECOVERY SOLUTIONS

United Utilities and Interserve have joined forces to come up with plans for a gasification plant at New Cheshire Business Park in Wincham.

The site would treat 200,000 tonnes annually, again brought in from transfer stations in Crewe, Macclesfield and Ellesmere Port and direct from the surrounding communities.

Recyclables will be removed before steam is pumped through the waste to heat it. This in turn creates a synthetic gas which will be used to power a turbine.

RRS says it will create enough energy to power 22,500 homes. It predicts 112 vehicle movements a day and says the site will create around 70 jobs.

The web address is resourcerecoverysolutions.co.uk

COMMERCIAL

Why do we need a waste plant?

Like household waste, the rubbish generated by industry and businesses needs somewhere to go. A shortage of space and rising costs mean landfill is no longer a feasible option.

What happens now?

Bedminster has already been granted planning permission to build a bio-energy plant on land off Griffiths Road in Lostock and is poised to begin construction any day now.

Covanta has submitted a planning application to build an incinerator at the Midpoint 18 business park in Middlewich but the town council and Cheshire West and Chester Council have both recommended it for refusal.

The final decision now lies with Cheshire East council.

What are they proposing?

COVANTA

American energy giant Covanta wants to build an incinerator capable of burning 370,000 tonnes of commercial waste a year in Middlewich.

Incineration in basic terms involves sorting the remaining recyclables from waste before burning what remains. The heat generated heats up water which is turned to steam and sent through a turbine to generate electricity.

The proposed £200million energy-from-waste' plant has been earmarked for Midpoint 18 business park.

Covanta says the incinerator will make the percentage of Cheshire waste sent to landfill plummet from 70 per cent to four per cent and create up to 300 jobs during construction and up to 50 permanent roles.

Its opponents, CHAIN, secured 8,000 signatures against the plans.

CHAIN campaigners say the incinerator will cause 'health risks for generations', prompt traffic chaos with an estimated 300 lorries a day and cause house prices to plummet by up to 25 per cent.

The proposal has been recommended for refusal by Middlewich Town and Cheshire West councils.

MP Ann Winterton is also against the plans.

Cheshire East Council will ultimately decide the application's fate.

BEDMINSTER

Approved in April 2008, the joint venture between Bedminster and Organic Waste Management, will see 200,000 tonnes of waste treated using bio-energy technology.

Waste is placed in a large drum and subjected to heat which sparks a composting process.

The bio-degradable part of the waste is broken down to create a biomass. This is an organic product so when it is heated and turned into gas, there are no nasty dioxins produced as with incineration.

The remaining waste, such as plastic bags, bottles and cans, will be recycled.

Bedminster predicts 89 daily traffic movements.