A new waste plant which will create green energy from food waste has been officially opened today by Cllr Bob Derbyshire, Cabinet Member for the Environment.
The plant – built in Tremorfa – uses a technology called Anaerobic Digestion which breaks down food waste in the absence of oxygen to produce electricity and a product which can be used to make plant food or a soil conditioner. Each year the plant will generate enough power for 4 000 homes and will be generate up to 26 000 tonnes of soil conditioner.
The City Council is working with the Vale of Glamorgan Council, Kelda, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Econ Construction and Anaeria on this project to recycle 97% of food waste delivered to the plant by the two councils. The facility has a capacity of 35 000 tonnes and is now processing Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils’ food waste and is already generating electricity.
Cllr Bob Derbyshire, Cabinet Member for Environment at Cardiff City Council, said: “The City Council’s recycling rate has increased from just over 19% in 2006/7 to about 60% this year so we have transformed the way that we manage our waste. In fact, we are now the highest recycling core city in the UK.
“Food waste is the important waste type to divert from landfill sites and by treating this waste through this process we can generate electricity and further recycling. This new plant will reduce our carbon footprint by treating this waste to create green energy on our doorstep. The benefits are clear – further increasing our recycling rate while harnessing the power from this waste to generate electricity.
“This is a 15 year partnership between us, the Vale of Glamorgan and Kelda. All other green garden waste will be treated at Lamby Way through a process called Open Windrow Composting to create good quality compost.”
Cllr Gwyn John, Cabinet Member for Visible, Leisure and Regulatory Services, said: “This new state of the art facility is a demonstration of our two Councils shared commitment to reducing waste, and promoting recycling and sustainability.
“Last year saw the Vale of Glamorgan Council record a 10% increase in recycling rates, with 65% of all waste collected across the county being recycled. This was a great achievement and one that was only made possible by Vale residents making changes to live more sustainably.
“This new treatment centre will not only play a key role helping us keep even more waste out of landfill and by doing so enable us to recycle upwards of 70% of all waste by 2020, but also produce clean energy for the region. It provides a sustainable long term solution for composting the Vale of Glamorgan’s organic waste.”
Pamela Doherty, Managing Director of Kelda Water Services said, “Throughout the project the Kelda Organic Energy Team have worked closely with our partners at Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Councils to ensure that this facility met their ambitious expectations. The result is a state of the art facility that will make a significant contribution to both reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill, and generating renewable energy.”
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