140k tonnes a yearto be disposed by ‘16

THE waste group responsible for recommending a new incinerator in Strathfoyle will eventually appoint contracts for the treatment of up to 140k tonnes of waste per year using Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and 80k tonnes of waste per year using gasification, the Sentinel can reveal.
By Kevin Mullan
Published 10th Mar 2013, 12:08 BST

Those behind the plans say MBT is a pre-treatment process that will allow Councils to maximise their recycling by extracting useful materials from the waste stream while gasification, an advanced thermal treatment for non-recyclable waste, will produce renewable energy.

But some local residents have expressed opposition to the proposed new gasification facility, which is considered a type of incinerator by the EU.

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Now the Environment Minister Alex Attwood has revealed the 140k MBT figure which is more than the 120k per year tonnage - the equivalent of the EU’s annual beef exports - which the North West Region Waste Management Group (NWRWMG) forecast a new gasification and MBT plant at Maydown will handle if it gets the green light.

The waste disposal operations should be up-and-running by 2015/16 subject to Council approval, Mr Attwood estimated.

Before Christmas, NWRWMG appointed Brickkiln, Sisk and Shanks as its preferred bidder to deliver a £500m MBT and gasification plant at Brickkiln’s Enviropark at Electra Road, Maydown.

NWRWMG has stated that the site will dispose of at least 120k tonnes of household rubbish generated by households from Moyle to Strabane every year.

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Mr Alex Attwood has now revealed that the NWRWMG has been authorised to appoint contracts for the disposal of a larger tonnage of waste than the 120k stated previously by NWRWMG.

The Minister explained: “NWRWMG procurement is to provide MBT (140,000 tonnes capacity) and a Gasification plant (80,000 tonnes capacity).”

He explained that at a meeting on December 13, 2012, the Executive agreed to provide financial support to the NWRWMG to a maximum of £35 million over fourteen years.

He stated: “This commitment would materialise once the proposed waste infrastructure has been constructed and is operational, which NWRWMG has forecast will happen during 2015/16, subject to council ratification.”

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The appointment of Brickkiln and Sisk and Shanks as a preferred bidder to deliver new waste infrastructure for the North West region has now been sent to the NWRWMG’s seven constituent councils for their consideration.

“That recommendation is currently progressing through the democratic cycle of council meetings,” stated Mr Attwood.