According to Veolia, the facility will “feed wide-ranging wood recycling operations and help supply the company’s renewable energy generation”.
The company said 80% of wood sent to the site will “have a second life as flooring, furniture, worktops and other particle board applications”, while the rest will be sent to its biomass plants in the UK.
Veolia added that its biomass energy sites supply renewable electricity and heat which “supports industry, healthcare, and around 8,000 residents connected to carbon zero district heating schemes”.
High grade wood is also processed by Veolia for bedding products for the equestrian industry, poultry and dairy farms, and other products as diverse as spillage absorbents, fibre board, filtration systems, packaging and paint filler.
The facility now means that Veolia processes 460,000 tonnes of waste wood in the UK.
‘Commitment’
Gavin Graveson, executive vice president of UK and Ireland, said: “To decarbonise our future and protect our planet we know it is essential to act now. We are continually developing our recycling and renewable energy services, and the opening of this new site highlights our commitment to boost sustainability, and cut the financial and environmental costs of wasting these materials.
“By giving this material a new use or transforming it into renewable energy we can cut our carbon emissions, reduce landfill and and help the UK reach its net zero carbon target.”
Permit
Veolia applied for an environmental permit for the site in April, which was accepted in August.
According to the permit, the site will accept up to 50,000 tonnes of waste wood from household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) and commercial sources.
The site will produce wood chip from wood brought into the site from HWRCs and other commercial sources, the permit added.
The throughput of the site will be 140 tonnes per day, with the site expecting to process up to 50,000 tonnes per year.
Veolia said in its release today that ahead of COP26, the facility “has highlighted its commitment to recycling and renewable biomass energy”.
Subscribe for free