It’s gasification, not incineration, stop whipping up worst fears: Attwood

ENVIRONMENT Minister Alex Attwood insists a proposed new waste plant at Maydown is a gasification facility and not an incinerator despite the fact an ash pit will be needed to collect residual waste: the word incinerate literally means ‘reduce to ashes.’
Environment Minister Alex Attwood.Environment Minister Alex Attwood.
Environment Minister Alex Attwood.

Plus, the European Union thinks gasification is a form of incineration.

The Minister also said few people responded at a public consultation on the facility (just four) when they had the chance and that people should behave responsibly rather than try to create worst fears.

He was asked about the proposed gasification facility in Maydown by Londonderry MLA Raymond McCartney.

Mr Attwood said he would address any concerns where they existed but added the proviso: “I believe others should take the opportunity to explain the situation, advise people that it is a gasification plant that there was many opportunities to contribute to the planning process and that the challenge of EU waste requirements, the need to ensure less and less landfill and our obligation to our heritage mean that everyone behave responsibly and not try to create worst fears.”

He was at pains to explain the technical process of gasification, stating: “It is important to recognise what the gasification proposal means – in the case of Enviroparc waste will arrive from the existing on site Material Recovery Facility in the form of an Refuse Derived Fuel (i.e. waste that has been converted to fuel by shredding and dehydration).

“The RDF will be fed into a gasifier, where it will be heated in a reduced oxygen environment converting it into a synthetic gas fuel. The gas is then utilised as an efficient fuel in an oxygen rich environment.

“The energy (in the form of steam) from the combustion is used to drive a turbine. From this process electrical energy and recoverable heat energy will be produced.”

Mr Attwood then revealed that any of this waste that is reduced to ash will have a pit to fall into.

“Any residual waste will fall into an ash pit which will be taken for off-site disposal to a suitably licensed landfill as a non-hazardous waste or for further processing by a third party ash processing company, to recover the ash as an aggregate,” he said.

Yet he insisted gasification is not incineration even though it literally means a process whereby something is reduced to ash.

“Therefore, the model sees separation of waste, energy from waste with a recyclate at the end of the process. Moreover, it is a gasification – not an incineration – model,” he said.

In this he is at odds with the European Commission, which under its Directive 2000/76/EC, regards gasification as a form of incineration.

Mr Attwood said some concerns over the impact of the plant on human health and the environment were raised after the planning application was determined but that these had been addressed during the planning process.

The Minister noted how few people and organisations actually responded to a public consultation on the proposed plant.

“There were four objections to the proposal received during processing of the planning application and objectors were notified of the outcome of the decision.

“The public had the opportunity to input into this consultation on any and all issues including matters of concern. The opportunity to comment, oppose, agree or make any comment whatsoever existed.

“I note that few took up the opportunity – be it business, individual, political or otherwise.”

Mr Attwood also said an administrative oversight was the reason a general notice was not placed in the local press after approval had been given.

“It has now been rectified. An investigation is now taking place to identify how this oversight occurred and to ensure that procedures are put in place to avoid a recurrence on dealing with future planning applications,” he said.

Related topics: