We are looking at making a solid recovered fuel from our MBT residue and we think gasification is the best way to go
Peter Mills, New Earth
New Earth Solutions, which runs an MBT facility in Poole, Dorset, has begun discussions with technology companies to develop a thermal treatment facility which would generate energy from waste which cannot be recycled.
In particular, the company is interested in turning the waste into solid recovered fuel and processing it using gasification technology which would turn it into a combustible gas.
Although waste gasification is largely unproven in the UK, New Earth believes it is highly energy efficient and is eager to become one of its first pioneers.
Peter Mills, contracts director at New Earth, told letsrecycle.com: “We are looking at making a solid recovered fuel from our MBT residue and we think gasification is the best way to go.”
“No-one has a commercial-scale gasification plant running yet in the UK and we are asking companies to prove it, and maybe to come on board to launch a joint venture to prove it here,” he explained.
Bournemouth
In Poole, New Earth currently manages 55,000 tonnes of residual waste a year on behalf of Bournemouth city council (see letsrecycle.com story). Of this, the firm sends around 5,000 tonnes to its MBT plant which uses a series of trommels, magnets and screens to remove recyclables before intensively composting the organic fraction for landfill restoration- with some residue going to landfill.
However, as pressure on Bournemouth and other councils to divert more biodegradeable waste from landfill increases and landfill tax soars, New Earth will be processing more and more waste through its MBT plant, creating more and more residues which will need an outlet.
The plans for a gasification facility would also dovetail with New Earth's plans for expansion. At present, the company is scouring the country for potential sites to build new plants, which may include another merchant -style facility based on the Poole model.
While demand for MBT processing remains low, New Earth is using its enclosed, “in-vessel” composting system to process source-separated food, garden and cardboard waste from Bristol city council while Bristol procures a more local facility.
As one of the bidders, New Earth has already passed the pre-qualification stage and has secured land outside Bristol to strengthen its proposal.
Mr Mills said: “Our bid for Bristol is for an in-vessel composting system, as the council said it wanted proven technology. The facility has to be commissioned by October 2009.”
Kent
In Kent, meanwhile, New Earth's contractors are about to start building an £8 million in-vessel composting facility at Blaise Farm near Maidstone to handle up to 50,000 tonnes of organic waste a year.
This will service New Earth's contract with Kent county council to handle 25,000 tonnes of food and green waste a year from Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge and Malling, which was awarded in 2005 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mr Mills said: “We have spent four of five months tidying up the site up, which is a old rag stone quarry, and contractors will be on site in two week's time. We are only taking up to 30,000 tonnes from Kent council so we will be marketing the additional capacity. We expect it to come online by summer 2008.”
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