Build work underway for MBT facility in Wiltshire

Construction work on Wiltshire's first mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant has begun, which will treat up to 60,000 tonnes of household waste a year across the county.


The £20M facility, based at Northacre in Westbury, is being built by Hills Waste Solutions as part of a 25-year contract with Wiltshire Council.

The facility will increase the proportion of Wiltshire’s municipal waste diverted away from landfill to more than 80%, from a current performance of about 63% and a total of less than 20% a few years ago.

MBT specialist, Entsorga Italia, is providing technology for the plant and Interserve has been awarded the design and build construction contract.

The facility will produce around 28,200 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) each year, recover 1,800 tonnes of recyclable metals and produce 10,000 tonnes of bio-stabilised residue to landfill.

Hills Group chairman, Alan Pardoe, said: “This is a significant milestone in both the company’s development and the way Wiltshire handles its household waste. In the coming months we’ll see innovative technology installed on the site by our contractors which will open up new markets for our company.”

It is thought the facility, which is expected to be operational in the summer of 2013, will also save significant council lorry miles as waste from the west of Wiltshire will no longer need to be transported to Hills’ landfill site at Lower Compton.

Initially the RDF produced will be transported by road to port and then shipped to Europe for use in renewable energy plants, but it is anticipated that the production of RDF will encourage the creation of a more local market.

Maxine Perella

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