Manchester goes live with first of five MBT sites

The first of five major treatment sites for Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority - a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) plant with Anaerobic Digestion (AD) - is up and running.


The facility is one of four other MBT facilities, three with an AD element, under construction across Greater Manchester. It is capable of processing 100,000 tonnes of residual waste each year.

Some of the output will feed a combined heat and power plant in Runcorn to produce electricity and heat, helping to divert at least 75% of waste from landfill in the region by 2020. The organic element of the waste stream will be treated through AD.

The facility, located in north Manchester, has been under construction since the start of the Greater Manchester recycling and waste management contract in April 2009.

Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) is the key waste contractor for the project. Chairman Peter Heginbotham said: “The construction and testing phases have been challenging and not without their hurdles.

“However working together across our strong partnership we are proud to announce the first of five MBT-ADs is fully operational and we look ahead to completing the remainder of the facilities.”

Maxine Perella

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