North East & Yorkshire Premier Construction

Reducing waste in Leeds

Energy for Waste, Leeds
Written by Roma Publications

Energy for Waste, Leeds

A multi-million pound project to construct a new waste management plant in Leeds continues to make good progress.

The project is being built on the site of a former wholesale market in the city centre and once complete will reduce the amount of waste which is taken to landfill.

At present 214,000 tonnes of waste from 760,000 people within the Leeds area is sent to local landfill sites. This new facility will reduce this amount greatly, by transforming waste into reusable electricity for the National Grid.

The new plant will take in black bin waste which it will divide into recyclable and non-recyclable materials. The recyclable materials, such as cardboard and plastic, will be removed and recycled accordingly, whilst the non-recyclable materials will be used to generate enough electricity to power up to 20,000 homes.

It is believed that the facility will save Leeds Council approximately £200m over the next 25 years.

The project – which is being implemented by Veolia and Leeds City Council – is being delivered by joint venture Clugston Construction and CNIM. Clugston Construction is part of the Clugston Group, a privately owned, limited group of businesses which has been in operation for more than 75 years.

The project marks the sixth energy from waste facility for Clugston Construction, following projects in Staffordshire, Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, Ridham and Shropshire and the fourth such project from Veolia. Work began on the project in October 2013.

Whilst the design of the project shares similarities to previous waste facilities, this scheme includes a glulam structure, with polycarbonate cladding and air cooled condensers. The glulam timber frame is one of the most striking features of the new facility and includes translucent sheets on its north face, with a green wall to the south elevation.

Commenting on the design, Senior Project Manager, Tony Wing, said:

“This one in particular is very different, because of the glulam structure and the polycarbonate cladding. These materials are driven by Leeds City Council’s philosophy and approach.”

The new facility includes three connected buildings, comprising an energy recovery facility, a mechanical pre-treatment hall and an ash storage facility. The recovery facility measures 42m in height and will cover 4,680sq meters of space.

During the early stages of the project, the construction team installed 867 CFA piles, with 2,000 tonnes of rebar. Meanwhile, the UK’s leading independent provider of construction materials, Hope Construction Materials, is supplying a substantial quantity of concrete to the new recycling and energy recovery facility. Hope Construction Materials has 180 sites nationwide and is an expert in its field.

Hope Construction Materials was initially asked to supply 17,000m³ of concrete to the project, but this amount has since increased to 19,000m³. The concrete is being supplied from Hope Construction Material’s Leeds-based plant, which is less than a mile from the construction site and reduces the project’s carbon footprint.

Tim Goodall of Hope Construction Materials, said:

“There is a significant focus on renewable energy and making the most of what we do with our waste, with landfill an option that we want to rely on as little as possible in the future.

“With this in mind, Leeds City Council was keen to build a major waste processing facility which will have strong environmental return in the long term. As part of this the eco-friendliness of the build has been under close scrutiny and we are delighted to be able to offer local delivery – supplying concrete from our central Leeds plant less than mile from the build’s location.

“It’s a substantial project, with demands for concrete having already risen by more than 2,000m³, and we are working hard to help the main contractor to deliver the project on time and to budget – leaving Leeds City Council with a great waste recycling facility.”

Paul Gouland, Marketing Director at Clugston, said:

“Sustainability is a major feature of both the design and delivery of this facility, and we are delighted that Hope Construction Materials have been able to support ourselves and Veolia with their approach and commitment to using, wherever possible, local resources.”

Work continues on the project and is currently scheduled to reach completion by mid-2016.

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