Viridors 24 MW Ardley Waste to Energy Plant Receives First Waste Delivery

Photo by APS (UK) Ltd and courtesy of Clugston-Viridor and CNIM The first delivery of residual household waste has arrived Viridor’s 24 MW Ardley waste to energy facility near Bicester, Oxfordshire. The company - a part of the Pennon Group (LSE: PNN) – explained that commissioning of the £200 million facility is currently underway following the completion of the majority of civil work. Waste is now being accepted at the plant which is being used to test the cranes and other equipment prior to firing the facility up. It is anticipated that around 20 vehicle deliveries per day will take place initially. “This first delivery of waste marks the completion of the “cold-commissioning” phase, preparing us to begin processing waste later this month – commonly known as hot-commissioning,” commented Edward Thomas, project director at Viridor. Oxfordshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment Councillor David Nimmo Smith, added: “This is a major milestone towards the start of a waste treatment service that will divert most of Oxfordshire’s residual waste from landfill and use it to generate electricity.” Steam Blowing The commissioning programme will now continue at the waste to energy plant and a process called ‘steam blowing’ is set to start today. The company explained that during construction of the facility, some grit and dust can be left inside the system from the joining and welding process. Steam blowing is required to clean out the system prior to the facility becoming operational. According to Viridor the process is not hazardous but can be noisy. It generally lasts approximately fifteen minutes per ‘blow’ and can sound like a loud rumbling noise. These activities are temporary, of a very limited duration and will not be carried out during the night-time. As well as noise, it will produce a visible steam plume of condensation The company added that a silencer system is in place to prevent any excessive noise. Viridor and its contractors CNIM Clugston Oxfordshire are then expected to start the plant up, with waste being processed in the next couple of weeks. Once operational, the Ardley EfW facility will process around 300,000 tonnes of residual waste, which has been left after recycling and composting, per year It is also expected to produce enough electricity to power 38,000 homes and to divert around 95% of its inputs away from landfill disposal. Read More CNIM Orders Metso Waste to Energy Control Technology Waste to energy infrastructure development contractor, CNIM has ordered an additional two advanced automation systems from industrial technology supplier, Metso for use at Viridor waste to energy plants currently under construction. Loud Steam Blows Halt Commissioning Viridor's Exeter Waste to Energy Plant Viridor has suspended the steam blowing process in the commissioning of its 60,000 tonne per year Exeter waste to energy facility following concerns expressed by some residents. Go-Ahead to Use Heat from SITA Waste to Energy Plant to Grow Tomatoes in Suffolk SITA UK and Sterling Suffolk have been given the go-ahead for a greenhouse project that will utilize heat from the Great Blakenham waste to energy plant to grow tomatoes.