The North West Region Waste Management Group (NWRWMG) has announced the shortlist of bidders through to the next stage of its £500m public procurement exercise to deliver new waste management facilities for the area.
NWRWMG, which is made up of seven councils stretching from Moyle to Strabane, is responsible for delivering new infrastructure that will reduce the environmental impact of waste and ensure the region meets European Union waste targets.
The shortlisted bidders, a mix UK and Irish waste specialists, are:
- Biffa Waste Services Ltd
- Brickkiln Waste Ltd / United Utilities Plc
- Greenstar Holding Ltd (Greenstar UK) and
- One51 Plc / VT Environmental Engineering Ltd.
The companies will now be asked to put forward detailed proposals on their plans to develop a combination of Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and advanced thermal technologies to treat waste which can’t be recycled.
Councillor Evelyne Robinson, NWRWMG Chairman, said:
“NWRWMG’s aim is to deliver the most environmentally-friendly and cost-effective waste management solution for the region. By following a two-pronged approach of boosting recycling levels while developing modern technologies that turn unrecyclable waste into renewable energy we are adopting best practice procedures utilised throughout Europe.
“This is one of the largest and most complex procurement projects ever undertaken in the region. Apart from the environmental benefits, the project will also generate construction jobs, produce energy which could be used by industry and homes, and enable the region to avoid potentially severe EU fines for failing to dramatically reduce our reliance on landfill sites.
“We’ve been very encouraged by the level of interest in the project and expect to be in a position to announce the preferred bidder towards the end of 2010.”
Cllr. Robinson added:
“New waste facilities are needed if we are to meet European waste targets, but we also need to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ as much as possible. In the past few years we’ve made great strides in increasing recycling levels, but everyone needs to keep up that good work and add to it.”
The European Landfill Directive requires that by 2020 the amount of material being sent to landfill must be reduced to just 35% of 1995 levels. NWRWMG is also seeking to raise recycling and composting rates throughout the region from the current level of 34% to at least 50%, also by 2020.
