Multi-million pound waste facility is ‘being finalised’

Warnham is entering its commissioning phase.

Biffa West Sussex Ltd is nearly three years into a £1.2 billion 25 year contract with West Sussex County Council to build and run a mechanical biological treatment centre (MBT) to reduce the quantity of rubbish sent to landfill.

“Construction on MBT facility is being finalised with quality assurance engineers overseeing completion sign off,” general manager Mike Thair told the County Times.

“We are pleased with on-going preparations for the commissioning phase which will start soon.

“The facility is expected to commence waste processing in the summer of 2013.”

So far in excess of 21,ooo cubic metres of concrete has been poured, 2224 tonnes of reinforcement installed and 3276 metres of drainage laid.

Six huge anaerobic digestion tanks are now installed, which will generate methane gas from the county’s black bag organic waste.

A visitor centre has also now been completed, and cranes and shredders have been installed in the reception halls.

Speaking last June, deputy leader of WSCC Lionel Barnard (Con, Henfield) said: “By the time the plant is up-and-running in 2013, it will be handling over 200,000 tonnes of waste per year and the council is already procuring a contract for the disposal of the fuel produced which, when in place, is likely to result in the diversion of at least 75,000 tonnes of waste from landfill per year.”

www.biffa.co.uk/westsussex

“This will be better for the environment and better for us.”