Grundon Waste Management and Viridor have today launched a public consultation on plans to jointly develop a state-of-the-art Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Ford Circular Technology Park, between Ford and Yapton.
The proposed ERF will form part of the Ford Circular Technology Park, a new best-in-class sustainable waste management hub for the region.
The facility would help close a significant local waste management capacity gap, diverting waste from landfill and providing a sustainable alternative to export, while making a vital contribution to the security of energy generation.
The proposed ERF will be positioned alongside both a new Waste Sorting and Transfer Facility, and Viridor’s existing Materials Recycling Facility (MRF). Between them, the three co-located sustainable waste management facilities, will separate valuable recyclable material from non-recyclable waste and then use that non-recyclable material to generate electricity equivalent to the needs of around 68,000 homes.
The facilities we’re proposing will not only help us better manage the resources we can’t otherwise recycle or reuse, but they will also help us close a local waste treatment gap here in West Sussex
The proposed location at Ford already benefits from planning permission for an ERF, which was consented in 2015 by West Sussex County Council. It has a long history of waste management operations, with Grundon currently operating a waste transfer station on the site of the proposed ERF and Viridor operating a neighbouring MRF, which uses sophisticated technology to sort and separate recycled materials.
Grundon and Viridor now want to revise the former planning application, updating it to reflect new technologies and design, while incorporating learning from Lakeside Energy from Waste (EfW), an existing joint venture at Colnbrook, near Slough.
Ford ERF would be capable of treating 275,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year, generating 28MW (net) of energy, as well as creating the opportunity for some of the heat generated by the process to be used by local homes and businesses.
Regional hub
The creation of this regional waste management hub will enable waste to be processed much more closely to where it’s being created, the company’s say. This directly addresses the findings of recent Viridor research, which suggests 87% of people believe the UK should find a way to deal with its own recycling, without having to export it to other countries.
Grundon and Viridor say they are also keen to invest in the local community and will bring their experience of developing and operating similar facilities to promote education, skills development and supporting community schemes.
Philip Atkinson, Director at Ford Energy from Waste Limited, said: “We face a significant challenge when it comes to managing our waste in the UK. Neither landfill disposal or export are sustainable in the long-term, and both are increasingly expensive. Ford ERF gives us an opportunity to create a best-in-class integrated waste management solution all housed on a single site.
“The facilities we’re proposing will not only help us better manage the resources we can’t otherwise recycle or reuse, but they will also help us close a local waste treatment gap here in West Sussex.
“The proposed location is ideal as it’s currently an operational waste site and is centrally located to where the waste is generated. The site has a long association with the waste industry too – including operations run by both Grundon and Viridor.
“Our experience in developing similar facilities, such as our Lakeside EfW at Colnbrook, also means we understand how to build and operate high-quality waste facilities while being a good neighbour to the communities in which we operate.
“We encourage people take part in our forthcoming consultation via our website or by coming along to our public exhibition on Wednesday 25 March at Yapton and Ford Village Hall.”
