Covanta Energy and Peel Environmental have joined forces in a £500 million (US $741.9 million) project in the north west of England. The project will see the development of the UK’s largest industrial ‘eco-park’ aimed at promoting and encouraging recycling, reprocessing and energy recovery.
The park will be located close to Manchester and Liverpool and operated by Ince Park LLP. Covanta Energy will build, own and operate the WTE facility which will take in MSW and business waste and convert it into heat and electricity. Construction is set to begin in 2011. The energy produced would be enough to support 150,000 homes and much of it will be redeployed to the eco-park to increase the recycling and reprocessing capacity.
The remainder of the 126 acre site will be marketed to waste and environmental companies for their use, and approximately 50 acres of the site has been earmarked to become a nature reserve.
Myles Kitcher, Director of Peel Environmental commented, ‘We are delighted to have found a partner in Covanta who is committed to delivering the EfW (WTE) plant at the earliest possible opportunity. This means that we are looking at several hundred construction jobs over a three year period in addition to creating more than 1,000 full time jobs across the full Ince site. Jobs we promised during the planning process will now become a reality.’
Owen Michaelson, Chairman of Peel Environmental, said, ‘We need to make more careful use of the earth’s resources. I believe we should make efficient use of the waste that remains after recycling and maximise our use of renewable resources. This will enable us to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. We must use our precious mineral resources in a responsible manner and only as part of a balanced energy policy.’
Covanta’s UK MD, Malcolm Chilton said, ‘Our Energy-from-Waste (WTE) facility will be the heart of the eco-park which we believe will be a model for the future. It represents the most sensible and viable alternative to our country’s current over reliance on landfill for municipal and business waste. It will provide the energy and means to truly make recycling and reprocessing a reality and not just an aspiration.’
Commenting on the agreement Scott Whitney, Covanta’s European President said, ‘By combining the strengths of Peel Environmental and Covanta Energy we will provide an environmentally beneficial and economical method for dealing with residual waste. The synergies are fantastic and I am optimistic we will find other similar projects to work on together.’
See also:
US plan to cut mercury and other harmful emissions from boilers and incinerators
