"The opening of this facility vividly demonstrates Hampshire’s pioneering approach to waste infrastructure and its far-sighted waste management strategy. Marchwood ERF and the other facilities in Hampshire have been vital to the county’s impressive landfill diversion record and demonstrate that energy recovery and high levels of recycling go hand in hand"
Denis Gasquet, Veolia Environmental Services’ CEO
Southampton, UK: Earlier this month, Denis Gasquet, Veolia Environmental Services’ worldwide CEO officially opened Hampshire’s "architecturally stunning" Integra South West Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Marchwood on the banks of Southampton Water.
This is the final piece of Hampshire’s ground breaking integrated waste management contract infrastructure jigsaw.
The facility is the third in the county after Chineham and Portsmouth and is playing a major role in helping Hampshire to divert 85 per cent of the county’s household waste away from landfill. This is the highest level in the UK.
An audience of more than a hundred people was present for the inauguration of the ‘Silver Dome’ which supplies electricity to the National Grid for over 22,000 homes. The ERF is managed by Veolia Environmental Services under contract with Hampshire County Council, Southampton City Council and Portsmouth City Council.
The dome- already a local landmark - processes 165,000 tonnes of non-recyclable household waste and produces 17MW of electricity, the majority of which goes to the National Grid. The facility was designed by architect, Jean-Robert Mazaud who was responsible for the other eye-catching ERFs in Hampshire.
Marchwood ERF (Photo: Veolia)
The plant has a unique look being a 36m high, 110m diameter hemispherical structure clad in aluminum. Two 65m chimneys rise from the centre with an array of windows forming a skirt at the base.
Denis Gasquet was accompanied by Cllr Bill Dow, Chairman of New Forest District Council, Cllr Tim Knight, Vice Chairman of Hampshire County Council and Councillor Mel Kendal. Following the opening ceremony representatives fro the County and District Councils toured the facility, met staff and saw the plant in operation.
Veolia Environmental Services won a 28-year contract in 1995 with Hampshire County Council for the management of all municipal waste. The partnership between Hampshire County Council, the two Unitary authorities of Portsmouth and Southampton, the eleven district councils (including New Forest District Council, where Marchwood is situated) and Veolia Environmental Services is known as Project Integra. The required infrastructure under the contract has been completed, and the company says that the original targets have been met and exceeded.
Marchwood ERF is one of three facilities in Hampshire which has contributed to the county’s landfill diversion rate. The three ERFs in Hampshire are area based and are located: Integra North at Chineham near Basingstoke (94,000 tpa); Integra South West at Marchwood near Southampton (165,000 tpa) and Integra South East at Portsmouth (165,000 tpa).
The three facilities represent an investment of over £130 million and process residual waste that would otherwise go to landfill. The energy is recovered as electricity with up to 37MWs feeding the National Grid.
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Denis Gasquet, Veolia Environmental Services’ CEO, said:
“The opening of this facility vividly demonstrates Hampshire’s pioneering approach to waste infrastructure and its far-sighted waste management strategy. Marchwood ERF and the other facilities in Hampshire have been vital to the county’s impressive landfill diversion record and demonstrate that energy recovery and high levels of recycling go hand in hand.”
Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Cllr Mel Kendal, said:
“This partnership approach was recently endorsed in the new Waste Strategy for England, and treating waste as a resource – rather than something to be buried in a hole in the ground – is what Project Integra and Hampshire County Council are all about. The three ERFs are a prime example, producing sufficient energy to power more than 50,000 homes each year.
“But we can still do more. We are investigating other options for managing waste in Hampshire in the future – we cannot afford to stand still. Household waste accounts for only a fifth of the waste stream, and taking a more joined up approach to managing waste from all sectors will enable us to identify further opportunities for enhancing its value as a resource, either by recycling it into new materials or by generating energy from it.
“Hampshire and its partners are edging ever closer to the day when we can point to the elimination of landfill disposal for Hampshire’s household waste. The Marchwood ERF takes us another step towards that goal.”