The New Technologies Supporter Programme continues apace as waste disposal authorities move rapidly towards the making of important decisions on facility development, often associated with the private finance initiative (PFI) process.
Greater Manchester only yesterday (8.2.2007) release information on the types of plant that it is to develop which include material recycling facilities (MRFs), in-vessel composting facilities (IVCs), mechanical biological treatment (MBT) and anaerobic digestion (AD).
The danger is that waste disposal authorities (WDAs) may make decisions on plant before DEFRA's demonstrator programme has provided additional information on a range of new technologies for waste treatment, though time is pressing and decisions need to be made.
The Supporter Programme is administered by Enviros which itself was the subject of a recent take-over by Alfred McAlpine, though Enviros will continue its business under its own name and management.
New Technologies Supporter Programme
Following on from the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit’s review of progress towards delivering the National Waste Strategy 2000, the Waste Implementation Programme (WIP) was introduced by DEFRA.
The main aim of WIP was to divert increasing volumes of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) away from landfill by moving waste treatment up the waste hierarchy towards more sustainable waste management practices.
Of the eight workstreams administered by WIP five are led by DEFRA and three by WRAP. The work stream on new technologies falls to DEFRA.
This new technologies work stream concentrates on BMW and is aimed at overcoming the barriers to development of proven and near market waste technologies. It does this by providing a comprehensive package of support to local authorities and their stakeholders.
The Supporter programme provides information, advice and training to local authorities in relation to new and emerging waste management technologies. Services provided include a 3 day training course; member and officer briefing sessions; study tours to see new technologies operating in the EU and up- to-date literature on new technologies and their key issues.
For further information visit the Defra website.