Biffa yesterday (1 December) announced that it has completed financial close on the Protos Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facility in Cheshire, with its partners Covanta and Macquarie Group.
Located near Ellesmere Port, the Protos facility will have a capacity of 400,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) for non-recyclable household and industrial and commercial waste. Of this, Biffa will be contracted to supply 61 per cent – or 245,000 tpa.
Biffa has stated the facility will also be capable of generating 49 megawatts of low-carbon electricity, enough to power around 90,000 homes.
Construction of the facility, which will cost between £345-£355 million, will be led by Mytilineos and Standardkessel Baumgarte. Biffa’s financial commitment to the project will total around £35 million, which will be invested over the coming three years from existing facilities.
Michael Topham, Biffa’s Chief Executive, commented: “We are pleased to have reached this important milestone together with our partners and to be taking another step towards improving the UK’s waste infrastructure and creating a low-carbon and resource-efficient economy.
“This project demonstrates our commitment to helping the UK to build the recycling and energy from waste infrastructure it needs to reduce its reliance on unnecessary export or landfill of valuable resources.”
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.