Energy from Waste incinerator problems with supplementary questions

3.6   Deputy G.C.L. Baudains of St. Clement of the Minister for Transport and Technical Services regarding the operation of the incinerator:

Would the Minister inform Members whether the incinerator continues to suffer problems and, if so, identify those periods it has been out of action so far this year, and would he in particular state whether the combustion is so poor that grate ash has to be sifted in order to return unburnt material to the furnace?

Deputy K.C. Lewis (The Minister for Transport and Technical Services):

As I outlined in my answer to the written question on 16th April, the Energy from Waste plant is having a significant amount of work done to it between March and August 2013. This work is being undertaken and funded by the contractor, CNIM Spie Batignolles Cameron as part of the overall Energy from Waste contract. The work is to replace 4 banks of superheater tubes that have shown signs of premature ageing with tubes of a higher material specification that will last for a longer period of time. The contractors will be modifying the flue gas treatment system to enable it to run more efficiently. The contractors will also be making modifications and repairs to the sea water condensers which will provide better corrosion protection and extend the life of the equipment. CNIM Spie Batignolles Cameron has worked with the department and developed a programme of works that will minimise disruption to the plant and keep at least one boiler running for as much as possible during this period. There will be a few short outages where the whole plant is shut down, and during these shutdown periods the bunker will be used to store waste until the plant is restarted. With the exception of 2 short periods in March and April when the superheater repairs  were underway, and one day where there was an internal electrical problem in the early part of March, the Energy from Waste plant has not been out of action.

1. Deputy G.C.L. Baudains:

Would the Minister like to suggest when the plant will be satisfactorily fully operational and be able to be taken over by the department from the building contractor?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

Yes. The defect period will end in July 2013, however any items that have been repaired within the defect period will have a further 2-year defect period added to them.

2. Senator S.C. Ferguson:

The list of defects suggests that the plant is not fit for purpose, or that the defects result from our plant being partially experimental. Have we been sold a defective design?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

Absolutely not. The plant itself is industry standard. That is why it was chosen. The bunker unit is standard; the burners are well-known and often used. The generator section is tried and tested. Basically it is the flue gas cleaning units that are new and they are functioning very well.

3. Deputy J.H. Young of St. Brelade :

Would the Minister inform the Assembly whether the defects that he has described have any effect on the standard of emissions being emitted by the plant?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

None at all. As I have just mentioned the flue gas cleaning unit is working perfectly.

4. The Connétable of St. John :

Is the Minister aware that much of the equipment within the plant, although it was a French company that built the plant, came from all parts of the world and then were added together, where historically most of the material would have come, shall we say, from the centre - in this case in France, but in the past it may have been Germany or the U.K.? Given that it came from a variety of different countries could this be in part some of the reasons why we are having failures, because the technology in different parts of the world are at different areas and they have been, for want of a better word, cobbled together?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

The Constable is absolutely correct in that the parts did come from all areas of the world, however they are tried and tested units. Basically it is only the pipes that have caused a problem, and everything else seems to be functioning normally. There was a problem with a grating section, but this is part of the normal bedding-in process.

5. Deputy J.A. Hilton:

I believe in the past a series of health checks were carried out at the old Bellozanne Valley incinerator site. Can you tell Members whether there is a programme of health checks in place for workers involved at the new incinerator site?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

I will have to check up on that. Not to my knowledge, but as I say it is the latest technology and the flue gases are perfectly clean, but I will check on that and get back to the Deputy .

6. Deputy J.H. Young:

The Minister has advised us that the cost of the replacement works is going to be met from within  the  contract  terms  under  the  guarantee.   Could  he  confirm  or  advise  the  Assembly whether or not there is any consequential knock-on costs or increased costs which will arise for the Transport and Technical Services Department or others and if so will we be able to recover that?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

No, there will be no additional costs. In fact we will be slightly better off, in a way. The waste is being stored in the shutdown time, so obviously not generating electricity, but as it is stored that is stored fuel in some way. So when we restart the burners again that will be burnt and electricity will again be generated and sold on to the J.E.C. (Jersey Electricity Company). The normal superheater tube life expectancy is between 3 and 5 years, depending on the nature of the waste being burned. Once installed the new tubes will have a further 3-year guarantee and are expected to last at least 6 years. The defect period will end in July 2013, as I have mentioned, and any items that have been repaired will have a further 2-year defect period added to them. The civils structure has a 12-year defect guarantee and there is an extended warranty schedule for mechanical plant defects which is limited to 5 years.

7. Deputy G.C.L. Baudains:

Given that this plant appears to be a breakdown waiting to happen, or not even waiting, it does it all the time, does the Minister not agree that it was a mistake by the department to tell another worldwide company who wanted to tender for this job, and would in fact have built this incinerator for £40 million less than we paid, not to bother to tender?

Deputy K.C. Lewis :

I am not aware of that. I have heard all sorts of rumours and I have heard all sorts of specifications written on the back of cigarette packets, et cetera. This is a state-of-the-art unit. I believe there are at least 7 of them running throughout Europe, and it was the best option for Jersey.

Deputy G.C.L. Baudains:

If I might assist the Minister, this back of the cigarette paper or whatever he referred to was one of his Ministerial propositions.