Britain's biggest vertical compost facility is up and running!
The country's largest vertical composter in New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland is an expansion by Keenan Recycling to its existing site and will recycle food waste from the surrounding community.The £3.2m waste facility began full production earlier this week when it started processing what will build up to a massive 20,000 tonnes of kitchen and food waste per year.
The composting technology allows the firm to increase the amount of food, animal and garden waste being recycled and reduce the amount of biodegradable material being sent to landfill in the Grampian region.
Currently Keenan Recycling processes around 30,000 tonnes of green waste a year, employs 11 people, and the new technology will provide an extra 20,000 tonnes of capacity to process mainly kitchen waste.
Aberdeen City Council has just begun food waste kerbside collection and the first consignment of waste was delivered to the site this week and will be turned into compost which can then be used for a variety of applications including agriculture, horticulture and landscaping.
Grant Keenan, director at Keenan Recycling, said: "The significant investment which we have made in cutting-edge new technology will deliver major benefits for our local authorities in helping them to meet the EU's challenging targets on landfill reduction."
Keenan also has planning permission for a further eight in-vessel chambers at the site and this together and plans to expand its reception and office later this year totaling another £1m of investment.
Meanwhile, Northamptonshire County Council has also given the go-ahead for a recycling and renewable energy plant.
The facility, at Gretton Brook Road, will handle 120,000 tonnes of waste a year and will divert municipal, commercial and industrial waste from landfill to be recycled or turned into energy.
The project by Shore Energy is expected to take 15 months to build and is likely to create 100 construction jobs, with a further 24 full-time staff employed at the plant when it is up-and-running, with construction expected to start early next year.
Shore energy say the plant will save costs by generating its own energy and is the first of a number of facilities planned by Perth-based firm specifically designed to meet the targets set by UK and Scottish Governments.
Click here to make an online enquiry regarding our services.
or call 01603 864796 (during office hours)
-
Pilot Tidal Energy Scheme for North Wales Coast
Conwy County Borough Council has backed plans for a pilot tidal energy scheme off the North Wales Coast.
The £150 million scheme at Llanddulas in North Wales would provide a testing facility for turbine designers and manufacturers, and assess the environmental impact of turbines.
The project was given approval by the council as part of a strategic regeneration strategy for the Conwy coast, prepared by consultant Capita Symonds.
Paul Terry, Capita Symonds, said: "Tidal power will play a key role in providing a sustainable energy source for future generations. The North Wales coast is an ideal place for such a scheme as it’s blessed with a good tidal range and suitable ocean depth." He added that the project could also help protect the coast from rising sea levels, storm surges and coastal erosion.
The regeneration strategy also calls for seven new visitor centres costing £30m should be built at key locations stretching from Conwy to Rhuddlan. But North Wales Tourism chairman Chris Jackson raised doubts over whether the proposals could realistically be funded in the current economic climate. The council’s approval now means that Capita Symonds will seek funding for feasibility studies and investigations to develop a business case for the scheme.
-
Micro-generation forms key part of Government's vision.
Climate Change Minister, Greg Barker, has launched a consultation on the Government's strategy to boost energy self-sufficiency in communities.
The public debate about microgeneration will look at ways to ensure the quality of generating technology and its installation, how to improve available products, and how to develop the microgeneration supply chain while providing more accessible advice.
The consultation follows last week's news that the Government is to overturn a ban on councils selling "green" electricity back to the national grid by the end of the year.
Mr Barker said“I want to see more homes, communities and businesses generating their own energy. We can literally bring power back to the people.Microgeneration is a key part of this vision.
“By becoming more self sufficient we can create sustainable local energy economies. People and communities can save money on their fuel bills at the same time as generating an income and cutting carbon. I want to work with industry to overcome the challenges it is facing. Together we will create a marketplace for jobs and prosperity alongside products and advice which people trust.”
More information can be found on the Microgeneration Strategy consultation web page
-
Green policies could hit UK manufacturing hardest.
A report from the think-tank Civitas warns that the increasing cost of energy, which has been driven up as a result of green policies could hit the UK's manufacturing sector - just as the country needs industry to help boost the economy.
The report said efforts to tackle climate change through cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing renewable energy generation could significantly push up energy bills for business.Extra costs are put on energy from policies including the EU's emission trading scheme, the renewables obligation to boost investment in technology such as wind power, and the climate change levy which taxes energy use in businesses and the public sector. Also, the Labour Government's climate change strategy had already added an extra 14% on homeowners' electricity bills and 21% on business bills.
Last year's renewable energy strategy could have created "surcharges" of up to 70% for businesses, and 33% for domestic customers by 2020, the report from Civitas claimed. The study warns the new coalition Government's energy policy could be as damaging to manufacturing industry as the previous administration.
The review by economist Ruth Lea and Jeremy Nicholson, director of lobbyists the Energy Intensive Users Group, said the UK was badly placed to meet its commitments to boost renewables as it was starting from such a low base. Even without the extra costs imposed to pay for climate change policies, Britain has high industrial electricity prices, which threaten its competitiveness.
Ms Lea said: "The economy desperately needs a competitive and thriving manufacturing sector if it is to prosper. Competitive energy prices are vital to the success of manufacturers, especially energy intensive users.Government energy policies are, however, remorselessly driving up energy costs thus risking the 'migration' of manufacturing plants to economies where the costs are lower."
