A new 200m waste recycling plant in Doncaster could create 220 jobs and regenerate 500-acres of disused land.
The Doncaster Energy from Waste (DEW) project, next to Hatfield Colliery, aims to combine technologies from different parts of the world to process waste, improve recycling and deliver over 30 megawatts of green energy.
It is part of an overall plan to revolutionise the way rubbish is processed in Britain. Developers say the project will be the first of its type in Europe and will put virtually nothing into landfill. It would also be able to take non-segregated waste from households and businesses meaning kerbside collections will be properly recycled.
The technology incorporates an initial sorting process when all potential recyclable materials such as glass, plastics and metals, can be treated and fed into an adjacent eco-park that will transform them into marketable products.
It is also able to generate recycled material that, until now, has been difficult to process, such as bottles with corks in them and shredded paper.
The DEW project also includes a series of non-recyclable waste.
After a steam treatment of that waste, the recovery process produces a fibre that is used in boilers to produce green energy as electricity, fed into the National Gird to make the Doncaster area vital for green energy.
The partnership plans to site the DEW Project next tot the working colliery in the Stainforth, Hatfield and Dunscroft area, putting Doncaster on the map for the most environmentally friendly energy from waste process possible.
The project is a partnership between regional expert and land owner Waystone, and energy from Waste firm AvVail. Director of AvVail, Prof Markus Vinzent said: “After years of research and close university industry co-operation, we are delighted to bring this project to Doncaster.
“The process is the world’s greenest solution to processing waste and delivers against the government strategy to reduce overall waste and maximize recycling.
“When the plant is operational we expect to employ approximately 220 people with jobs ranging from management to semi-skilled.
“We have also pledged to donate a percentage of funds generated from the plant into a community fund that is used to support local services, plant over a quarter of a million trees and provide a thriving place to live, work and play.”
Stuart McLoughlin, managing director of Waystone added: “The DEW Project will be the catalyst for much wider regeneration for the area and we are very excited.
“We are already planning a new ‘power park’ on the adjacent site and have recently secured planning permission to build a new link road connect it direct to the M18.
“The DEW Project will also greatly assist with our proposed 500 berth off-line marina on the Stainforth and Keadby Canal which received public support some time ago.”
Extensive land and waterscaping with new homes will come with the DEW project.
Consultation is currently under way with a brochure delivered to all local households and a series of presentations in the Stainforth, Dunscroft and Hatfield areas. More information is available on www.dew.uk.net
If permission is granted, work could start later this year so that the project can be ready for commercial operation by late 2011.
Discussions are also under way with power and gas company EON over the projects sustainable energy generation potential.
Thursday, 26th March 2009
Business Monthly - Doncaster Free Press
www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk