Covanta, Veolia to Build Rookery South Bioenergy Plant in England

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--A 50-megawatt (MW) bioenergy plant will be constructed in Bedfordshire, England, following a deal between Covanta Holding Corporation (NYSE:CVA) (Morristown, New Jersey) and the U.K. arm of Veolia Environnement SA (Euronext:VIE) (Paris, France).

The companies have agreed to develop the Rookery South Energy Recovery Facility near the town of Stewartby. The energy-from-waste (EfW) facility will be capable of burning up to 480,000 metric tonnes of municipal, commercial and industrial residual waste per year. It will cost approximately £100 million ($144 million) to construct and will be capable of powering up to 65,000 homes.

The project first got the green light from the U.K.'s Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) in 2011. At that time the project was marginally larger, aiming to process 585,000 tonnes of waste to produce 55 MW of electricity and up to 10 MW of heat. For additional information see related October 25, 2011, article -- First Infrastructure Planning Commission Decision Favours Rookery South Waste-to-Energy Facility.

"We are pleased to have found a partner in Veolia that will help us develop this important growth project," explained Matthew Mulcahy, Covanta senior vice president and head of Corporate Development. "The facility will provide a vital outlet for the sustainable disposal of residual waste and deliver clean, renewable power to the grid. It will also be designed to export steam to support a local district heating system or additional economic development projects."

Estelle Brachlianoff, senior executive vice-president Veolia U.K. & Ireland added: "This project will contribute to increased landfill diversion and will help the U.K. meet its carbon reduction commitments. The scheme will also create direct employment and boost the local supply chain as well as helping meet our future energy needs."

Bioenergy is playing a key role in the U.K. government's drive for more renewable energy. Statistics from last year show that the variety of different bioenergy sources accounted for 35% of renewable generation, with plant biomass accounting for 58% of bioenergy capacity and landfill gas supplying 22%.

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