Fuel for incinerator and composting plant

1240/5(4045)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR TRANSPORT AND TECHNICAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY G.C.L. BAUDAINS OF ST. CLEMENT

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 8th SEPTEMBER 2008

Question

Would the Minister advise whether -

1. t h e presentBellozanneincineratorrequires the use ofsupplementary fuel (such as gasor oil) and, if so, would he specify the type and quantityof fuel used annually;
2. t h e proposednewLa Collette incinerator will require supplementary fuel and, if so,the type and quantity estimated to be needed.

Answer

1. The present Bellozanne Energy from Wasteplant does not use supplementary fuel. The incinerator is an old design,it does not conform to the WID(Waste Incineration Directive) and does not have the facility to warm upon gas or oil.
2. The proposed new Energy from Waste plant will be WID compliant and will have to maintain a minimum furnace temperature at all timeswhenwaste is present. For the vast majority of the time this temperature is sustained by the inherentenergy content ofthewastebeing processed. Itis only when the plant is starting from cold, shutting down or whenan extraordinarily low calorific valuewasteenters the furnace that additional fuel in the form of gas oil willbe required. Theamountof auxiliary fuel will be dependent on the operationalregimeof the boilers thus it isnotpossibleto give a definite quantityof fuel that will beconsumed.Approximations have been made basedon similar plants and for design purposes a maximum fuel consumptionof370tonnesper year has been estimated to berequiredwhen the plant is operating at full design capacityof105,000 tonnes ofmunicipalwaste.

Question

Would the Minister advise members of the estimated completion date for the proposed in-vessel composting facility and explain why it has taken so long to achieve?

Answer

The Solid Waste Strategy (P72/2005) committed the Department to developing an enclosed composting facility with the preferred site being La Collette. An investigation into the future of composting was undertaken by Deputy Le Claire and the Environment Scrutiny Panel. As a result of his report being issued, a comprehensive site evaluation process, considering over 30 private and public sites all over the Island, was carried out which subsequently re-confirmed that La Collette was the preferred location for the composting operation. This was approved by Ministerial Decision in December 2007 (MD-T-2007-0113).

On 28th February 2008 the Department for Health and Social Services agreed to put in abeyance the odour abatement notice issued to the Minister for Transport and Technical Services as no useful purpose could be achieved through the Department demonstrating in Court what the Department for Health and Social Services had already acknowledged, that is the site is operated in accordance with good practice.

The Department understands that the Minister for Health and Social Services plans to bring to the States a report and proposition to amend the law on Statutory Nuisance in the autumn session to overcome this discrepancy. This together with confirmation from the Public Health Department that Waste Management Licensing will be the primary means of regulating odour, dust, noise and other environmental impacts now allows the Department to progress consideration of an appropriate enclosed composting facility at the La Collette site.

Once the most appropriate solution is defined, full environmental and health impact assessments will be conducted to ensure that the current odour problem, together with many other improvements in management are achieved.

It is proposed that a planning application be submitted at the earliest possible opportunity with construction commencing in 2009 and an improved facility operational during 2010.