Waste firm chooses Bristol site for new plant

A derelict factory at Avonmouth could be turned into a recycling complex which would include an incinerator.

Viridor, one of Britain's biggest waste management companies, wants to use the former Sevalco site for the £180-million scheme which would include burning waste to produce electricity.

Details of the plan come just a week after it was revealed that a £40m deal has been struck to build a plant in Avonmouth which will reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill by up to 80 per cent.

Viridor's plan would also take in black bag waste and sift through it for glass, metal and plastics for recycling.

The rest would be burnt in an incinerator to produce enough electricity that could serve an area about the size of Clifton.

Any residue from the incinerator would be used for products in the building industry.

Viridor hope to submit a planning application to use part of the Selvaco site in the autumn.

Later this month, the firm will hold two public exhibitions to explain their plan and give people a chance to put forward their comments.

The exhibitions will be held from 3-7.30pm at Hallen sports and social club on Wednesday, July 22 and Avonmouth Community Centre on Thursday, July 23.

The Sevalco plant used to make carbon black but it closed down six-and-a-half years ago with the loss of 88 jobs.

Viridor already operates a major recycling centre at Filton and provides recycling and waste collection services in Bristol and the surrounding area.

Its new recycling plant at Avonmouth would handle up to 150,000 tonnes of waste a year.

This compares with the 120,000 tonnes at the New Earth Solutions' plant on a 10-acre site in Avonmouth.

The firm has struck a deal with the West of England Partnership – a body which was set up to represent the four councils in the four Avon area.

New Earth Solutions also recently won permission for a treatment centre at Willow Farm, Hallen, to handle 30,000 tonnes of Bristol's organic waste each year.

In May, city councillors gave their support for a £200m "green" power station on an 18-acre site north of St Andrew's Road railway station.

The biomass plant would produce enough electricity to supply a city nearly half the size of Bristol.

It would create about 200 construction jobs and about 70 permanent posts.

Viridor spokesman Sion Owen said: "Our resource recovery centre is a unique proposal for the Bristol area.

"This facility is designed to handle materials for recycling and non-hazardous waste for energy recovery. It will process household, commercial and industrial waste.

"There is significant need for the proposed centre in the west of England to help local authorities and local businesses recycle more, meet their waste targetrs and to manage their waste more efficiently.

"Landfill tax is increasing to £72 per tonne in 2013 and so economic forces will also drive the need for efficient and cost effective facilities."