Veolia Wins Waste to Energy Contract in Staffordshire

Revised proposals for the ERF will reduce the building's overall footprint Staffordshire County Council has awarded Veolia Environmental Services (UK) plc a 25 year PFI (Private Finance Initiative) residual waste treatment and disposal contract worth approximately £1 billion. The contract is based on an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) located on the Four Ashes Industrial Estate, which will handle residual waste from Staffordshire as well as assisting Sandwell, Walsall and Warwickshire. Designed to handle 300,000 tonnes per annum of residual waste, the ERF will export in excess of 23 MW to the National Grid – sufficient to power 32,000 homes. The site will contribute substantially to the local economy both during the construction process and beyond by creating forty long-term jobs. Veolia is already undertaking pre-planning work on revised proposals for the permitted ERF at Four Ashes which will reduce the building’s overall footprint, size and height. A new planning application will be submitted in early August with a view to the building being completed by the end of 2013. Denis Gasquet, Chief Operating Officer of Veolia Environment and CEO of Veolia Environmental Services, said: “This decision reflects our proven ability to deliver a complete PFI package based on our development and technology expertise. “We have established a strong presence in Staffordshire and will be working closely with the county council to develop the new facility in line with its environmental objectives and maximise landfill diversion.” Staffordshire County Council Leader, Philip Atkins, said: “This is a landmark event for the county council as it has signed the biggest ever contract in its history.