Cornwall Council is taking innovative action to cut the ever increasing cost of waste disposal to landfill.
The council’s Waste Disposal Authority is working with recycling and resource management company, SITA Cornwall, on a new initiative to convert some of Cornwall’s non-recycled household waste into a Refuse Derived Fuel. The fuel would be transported to the EU, principally Sweden, for use in power stations to produce energy – replacing the need to use fossil fuels.
The cost of landfill tax for disposing of waste to landfill is currently £48 a tonne and will rise every year by a further £8 until 2014. In addition to this for every tonne of biodegradable waste that is landfilled over and above specific thresholds set for Cornwall, Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme (LATS) certificates need to be purchased. In order to reduce the costs associated with landfilling wastes whilst awaiting the outcome of the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC) planning appeal, Cornwall Council is looking at alternative temporary measures.
The Cornwall Council scheme to convert initially 34,000 tonnes of waste (20% of municipal wastes landfilled at Connon Bridge) into a fuel for use in Sweden is expected to save taxpayers in Cornwall approximately £2 million over 4 years.
Recyclables such as metal and, potentially organics, would be removed from incoming material.
Julian German, Cornwall Council cabinet member for Waste Management, said: “At a time when we are reducing the budget by £170m over the next four years we have to look at every possible way of saving money.
“This temporary, innovative and operationally manageable scheme makes sense economically and environmentally. It shows the benefits of working together with a leading waste management company to address the difficulties we face until our own long term waste infrastructure is in place.”
Initial estimates show that producing fuel from residual waste is a better environmental option than landfilling waste, even when you take into account transportation. This would, however, be an interim solution and the long term aspiration is to develop the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre so that residual waste can be managed even more sustainably.
Cllr German said: “We are currently awaiting the planning decision from the Secretary of State concerning Cornwall’s Energy Recovery Centre (CERC) and this innovative short term measure will make a significant contribution to cost savings for the council over the next 4 years.”
SITA UK is preparing to submit a planning application to the council’s planning department for a ‘temporary change of use from waste transfer facility to a refuse derived fuel processing facility at Connon Bridge Landfill, until 31st October 2014’. The proposal will include installing equipment in the temporarily redundant Refuse Transfer Station to turn residual waste that would otherwise be landfilled, into bales of refuse derived fuel. The equipment at Connon Bridge would comprise a trommel to sieve the waste, a shredder to reduce the waste in size then a baler to compact and wrap the waste ready for transport. The bales would then be taken to a regional port, such as Plymouth for shipment to Sweden to be used in power stations that generate electricity.
Once the proposal has been fully worked up and the necessary approvals and permits sought, formal approval from Cornwall Council Cabinet will be sought.
Source: Cornwall Council
