" The approval of planning today recognises that this facility is a crucial part of the strategy to recover value from waste, and reduce the amount going to landfill. Waste is an incredibly valuable resource and energy recovery facilities have a critical role to play, together with recycling and composting"
John Collis, Veolia Project Director, speaking recently
East Sussex County Council has given planning approval for Veolia to develop an Energy Recovery Facility at North Quay in Newhaven. The company says that the Energy Recovery Facility will make a major contribution towards the delivery of ambitious targets to recover value from waste in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove.
The facility is designed to generate electricity, and supply power equivalent to the energy consumption of more than 16,500 homes, from 210,000 tonnes of residual household waste generated in East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. This will be supplied to the electricity distribution network, and hence avoid use of non-renewable fossil fuel in electricity generation.
The site is at North Quay, Newhaven, between the River Ouse and the railway line. The energy recovery facility will treat residual waste (after recycling and compost materials have been removed) and generate electricity. The facility is designed with a capacity much lower than the total amount of household waste generated. This is intended to ensure that recycling initiatives are not compromised by the facility and to encourage increased recycling levels.
Design
Computer image of the Newhaven ERF facility
The architectural design of the energy recovery facility is very futuristic and appears to be what is needed to persuade people that such plants are an acceptable part of an integrated waste management strategy, paying full regard to maximising the quantities of materials recycled and composted.
The design has been based on a thorough landscape appraisal of the site and its surrounds and has, through consultation together with the environmental impact assessment and technical considerations, been an iterative process. This iteration, or returning to the design to update it based on more recent data or information, is an essential process for a major facility.
For example, following consultation it was re-aligned north-south along the grain of the land which offered visual mitigation of views from the Sussex Downs NAOB.
The design is intended to achieve minimal visual impact through countersinking of parts of the plant coupled with the shapes chosen for the building which gives a “smooth” architectural character.
A conservatory has been included in the main building which is intended to add to the modern appearance and help to make good use of natural light, also an energy saving measure.
Rich vegetation will be included in the building itself.
The administration and education building will be a four storey elliptically shaped
Building which will be linked to the plant building by bridges at several levels.
Though waste will generally come to the facility by road, the site also offers the potential for integrated, sustainable transport involving road, water, or rail if circumstances permit in the future.
The plant
The ERF plant will be a twin stream ERF of 28 tonnes per hour capacity burning household and other municipal wastes.
For progressive maintenance purposes the plant will operate at around 85% of its maximum theoretical capacity over a year’s cycle. Taking account of this net capacity the plant is rated as processing 210,000 tpa of wastes.
The plant will also have a steam turbine generator creating electrical power for use in the plant with the surplus export to the public supply grid with provision for steam extraction to supply heat to suitable external users.
Speaking recently, John Collis, project director of Veolia said of the decision:
“The approval of planning today recognises that this facility is a crucial part of the strategy to recover value from waste, and reduce the amount going to landfill. Waste is an incredibly valuable resource and energy recovery facilities have a critical role to play, together with recycling and composting.”
A Pollution Prevention Control (PPC) permit to operate the facility was granted by the Environment Agency in November.
The East Sussex and Brighton & Hove contract
Veolia Environmental Services (formerly Onyx) has a 25 year contract for the delivery of an integrated waste management service across East Sussex and Brighton & Hove. Working in partnership with both East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council, the company is committed to providing a sustainable approach to managing the area’s household waste.
The service is designed to increase recycling, composting and recovery and to reduce dependence on scarce local landfill. To put the contract strategy in place, a network of facilities is needed, including a Materials Recovery Facility, an enclosed composting facility, an Energy Recovery Facility and Waste Transfer Stations. Remaining local landfill will also be utilised for any non recoverable waste.
To deal with the contract, Veolia formed a separate company Veolia ES South Downs.
Collection of household wastes remains the responsibility of Brighton & Hove City Council and the five District and Borough councils within East Sussex.
Veolia Environmental Services has a sizeable presence throughout Britain, Europe and elsewhere. The company employs 80,000 people worldwide across 33 countries.
Veolia Environnement is a leader in environmental services with 277,000 employees operating in 75 countries worldwide. The company’s four divisions water, waste management, energy services and transportation have been brought together under a single name Veolia.
Further information
Further information can be obtained by visiting the Veolia Environmental website.