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The North of England Inward Investment Agency announced today that leading international Energy-from-Waste (EfW) provider Covanta Energy has purchased land in Northwest England and submitted an application for planning approval to build a new plant in Cheshire County.
The new facility will be able to convert the County’s non-recyclable, non-compostable residential waste into enough clean, renewable energy to power up to 50,000 local homes. The scheme will also take in a mix of commercial and industrial wastes from shops, offices and other businesses in the region. In doing this, the modern EfW process will reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and generate a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Sonya Knox, Vice President of The North of England Inward Investment Agency said, “We’re excited that Covanta has moved into the North of England. Their Energy-from-Waste model fits in well with the environmental and energy independence-related goals of our region. It just makes sense that Covanta would become a part of one of the most innovative and exciting energy regions in the world. The North of England’s facilities, supply chain and favorable government regulations are a perfect fit for Covanta and other companies focused on renewable energy. ”
Aside from the facility’s environmental benefits, the plant will provide economic opportunity and financial benefits to the local community.
The construction of the facility will employ upwards of 300 workers and ongoing operations will create up to 50 permanent jobs. Once the affordable electricity generated at the new Covanta EfW facility comes on line, Middlewich Town Council households can look forward to a discount on their electricity rates. The Company will also establish and contribute to a Community Fund to financially assist local groups, projects and initiatives of importance to the citizens of Middlewich.
In addition, Covanta will provide combined heat and power to British Salt, a major local employer, enabling that company to generate significant energy savings which will allow the company to operate more competitively and underpin future viability. Covanta is also participating in ongoing discussions with other local business about combined heat and power to see how they may also benefit from the project.
“We believe Covanta’s Energy-from-Waste system is the most practical and environmentally friendly solution for treating non-recyclable, residual waste. By investing in regional treatment facilities like the one proposed in Cheshire County, Covanta is able to maximize economies of scale and pass the economic benefits on to local businesses and residents,” said Scott Whitney, President of Covanta Europe. “In addition, Covanta’s facilities will assist the UK government in its efforts to significantly reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.”
The significant contribution that landfilling of waste makes towards global warming has made it a target for reduction. Landfills generate methane—a greenhouse gas more than 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. By 2020, European Union legislation and the U.K. government are requiring a 65% reduction in the 1995 levels of biodegradable household waste sent to landfills.
Thermal treatment of waste is supported by U.K. government legislation, the Regional Waste Strategy for the North West (RWS) and the Cheshire Waste Local Plan, all of which are focused on reducing the landfilling of biodegradable waste and minimizing its impact on global warming.
About the North of England Inward Investment Agency (NoE)
The North England Inward Investment Agency (NorthEngland.com) is a British Government-funded consultancy and UK-based inward investment agency whose role is to advise and assist North American companies considering UK/European expansion. Our services are free and confidential and include the provision of information on a wide range of important issues such as: market feasibility studies, business plan support, site selection, potential procurement of financial assistance/public grants, taxation issues, work-force training and recruitment, supply chain opportunities, skills availability, labor costs and regulations, market data, links and collaborations with Universities, introductions to key professional services and regulation advice.
About Covanta Energy Corporation
Covanta Holding Corporation (covantaholding.com) is an internationally recognized owner and operator of large-scale Energy-from-Waste and renewable energy projects and a recipient of the Energy Innovator Award from the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Covanta’s 38 Energy-from-Waste facilities provide communities with an environmentally sound solution to their solid waste disposal needs by using that municipal solid waste to generate clean, renewable energy. Annually, Covanta's modern Energy-from-Waste facilities safely and securely convert approximately17 million tons of waste into more than 8 million megawatt hours of clean renewable electricity and create 10 billion pounds of steam that are sold to a variety of industries.
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