Local Impact
Why has the specific site been selected for the project?
The site is a major priority area for regeneration for Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council and is one of the favoured sites for the evolving waste strategy for the area.
When will the project start and complete?
The partnership intends to commence the planning process in March 2009 with a second application for the mini power station in June/July 2009 and, subject to gaining consent, hope to start construction in late 2009 so that the facility can be ready for commercial operation by late 2011.
Will I be able to see the site from where I live?
The facility may be visible to some areas although extensive tree planting and landscaping is being put in place to minimise this view.
What will it look like?
The plant will be made up of a modern series of buildings compliant with planning regulations. The area on which the plant will be built will be extensively landscaped with over 250,000 trees.
How will the new road impact on the local area?
It is intended that the facility will use the new link road to the M18 once constructed. The new road will also help to improve connectivity for the local community and at the same time reduce HGV traffic on local roads.
Will the new road be ready before the plant opens?
It is intended to build the new road at the same time as The DEW Project with an aim to complete at the time the site is operational. However, there will inevitably be some level of disruption to the local area during the construction process.
What difference will the new road make to current traffic on local roads?
By providing another link to the motorway system, most local traffic will have more options with a consequent reduction in traffic at local pinch points. Most HGV traffic will be routed along the new link road. It is intended that The DEW Project will use the new link road once constructed and this will alleviate heavy traffic on local roads. The new road will also help to improve connectivity for the local community and at the same time reduce the current HGV traffic on local roads.
What will happen to the existing landfill site?
The DEW Project is able to divert almost 100% of waste from landfill. The use of this facility and subsequent reduction in landfill will be determined by the local authority.
Will the council still operate kerbside collection and waste collection?
Yes. The use of the facility and any subsequent change in collections will be determined by the local authority. The DEW Project is considered a solution to the waste problem in the area but changes to the current collection procedures are a matter for your council.
What benefits does the project offer for the local community?
The DEW Project is a part of the wider regeneration plan for the Stainforth, Hatfield and Dunscroft area. Named DN7 this vision forms a master plan to regenerate up to 500 acres to provide a thriving place to live, work and play.
The entire area will be sympathetically landscaped with extensive tree planting and waterscapes. It is anticipated that nearly a quarter of a million trees will be planted over at least 32 hectares.
Specifically The DEW Project provides support to the delivery of the new M18 link road and also the much anticipated Masts Marina project.
The project will also deliver new jobs for the construction phase and around 220 new management and semi-skilled jobs when the plant is operational.
The partnership is also pledging to donate a percentage of income generated from the handling and processing of local waste into a ‘Community Fund’. The fund is to be used to finance projects that will be determined by the community for their benefit and could include new leisure facilities, improved community services, education, healthcare and living.
What benefits are there for Doncaster?
If embraced and used by the local authority, The DEW Project can help to significantly reduce landfill, process recyclates much more efficiently and generate green energy for the entire Doncaster region. It can change the need for kerbside collection, thereby reducing costs and it can also accept segregated and non segregated waste.
The Project is capable of taking and processing up to 400,000 tonnes of waste every year.
The DEW Project is the first of its kind to be delivered in Europe. Whist the various technologies are tried and tested, Doncaster will be the first in the UK to embrace the whole process in one plant that can produce energy from waste and use all the recyclates at an adjacent eco-park.
The DEW Project will put Doncaster on the map for producing the greenest solution to process waste to energy, setting a new standard not just in the UK but Worldwide.
What benefits are there for the UK?
The DEW Project is the World’s greenest solution to processing waste and delivers a solution to the Government strategy to reduce overall waste and maximise recycling. It sets a new standard in processing waste as a resource to produce green energy.
How will the community fund work?
The Community Fund structure is yet to be determined. However the partnership has pledged to donate a percentage of income generated by the plant to the fund. The more local waste processed through the plant, the more funds will be pledged for community projects.
What is the status of the Masts Marina Project?
The Masts Marina is a visionary project to create a 500 berth off-line marina on the Stainforth and Keadby Canal. The project includes the regeneration of 40 acres of former colliery tips and satisfies British Waterways’ objective to increase leisure boating capacity across the whole canal system by the construction of a series of off-line marinas will full servicing and maintenance facilities. It is anticipated that a detailed planning application will be submitted later in 2009 and earthworks will commence in 2010. The marina itself may take up to five years to develop and will be completed in phases.
Will British workers be used to build the project?
Under EU law we are unable to discriminate against any EU workers although it is our intention to employ workers from the immediate area where possible. It also needs to be understood that specialised work packages will be subcontracted to other companies thereby restricting the partnership influence in job selection.
Will jobs for the plant be awarded locally?
In the first instance direct employment opportunities will be offered to local people. Under EU law we are unable to discriminate against EU workers although it is our intention to employ workers from the immediate area where possible. Are you planting mature trees or seeding?
Planting is likely to be a combination of whips (small trees) and semi-mature trees.
What else does the landscaping plan include?
The area on which the plant will be built will be extensively landscaped but the overall detailed plan remains to be developed once the proposed DN7 initiative has been finalised. In total it is anticipated that over 250,000 trees will be planted and there will be extensive water features.
Waste Management and recycling Where will waste come from to the plant?
The plant can accept waste from households and retail/commercial operations including supermarkets.
Will the plant take hazardous or medical waste?
No.
Does it mean that I don’t have to separate my waste for recycling?
The plant is able to take segregated and non-segregated waste and support the current recycling schemes that the local council has in place. Kerbside collected separated waste does not need to go to landfill, but will be accepted by the waste to energy plant. The decision to segregate waste will remain with the council based on its policy. The proposed plant is modular and so can cope with a change in demand. The facility is considered a solution to the waste problem in the area.
What will happen to segregated waste?
Segregated waste which is not sent to the plant will be processed and recycled under existing arrangements with the local authority. See. www.doncaster.gov.uk for details.
What sort of commercial operations will waste come from?
Supermarkets, shops, restaurants, offices and related businesses.
What items will be sorted and recycled?
All identified recyclable materials including metals, bottles, plastics, aluminium and glass will be processed for recycling at the new plant.
What will happen to recycled items?
The recycled items will have been sanitised through steam treatment and recovered through a sorting process. These items will then be passed to the adjacent eco park to be transformed into marketable products such as metal ingots, pots and pans, building products and biodiesel. The facility can achieve a higher recyclable rate than any other similar project and can even recycle bottles with the corks in them and shredded paper that until now have gone to landfill.
Environmental
What makes it the greenest waste to energy plant in the UK?
The DEW Project provides almost a 100% alternative to landfill meaning that virtually all waste is used as a resource and recycled. It can recycle material that in other processes are not recovered, such as plastics that can be turned into biodiesel and syn-gas. Recyclable products are treated and turned into useable products at the adjacent eco-park (reducing the carbon footprint for transportation) and the residual waste is turned into a fibre which is over 90% pure. This fibre is used in boilers to generate energy that is then fed into the National Grid.
The overall waste treatment and energy production process has been classified as being eligible for double Government Carbon Credits, which are only available for processes that are of the highest environmental friendliness
What emissions/pollution will come from the plant – smell, noise and light?
Noise pollution from The DEW Project will be minimal as all of the unloading of waste will be completed within a closed facility. The noise levels will be no higher than those found at any other light-industrial park. The plant will operate under negative pressure to eliminate the escape of odours, and any air that leaves the plant passes through deodorising ventilation systems.
Will it present any health risks?
No, the emissions from the plant are at least 50% below the limit set by European Parliament in 2000 as part of the Waste Incineration Directive. The plant will also be subject to Environment Agency regulations to ensure that any emissions are well below harmful levels. Emissions will be passed through thermal oxidisers to further minimise emission levels.
Will we see steam released into the atmosphere?
No, the steam produced from power generation will be captured and re-used in the autoclaves. The entire plans works in an enclosed environment and under negative pressure.
What are Government Carbon Credits and how do they help us?
Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROC’s) are issued by the Government for renewable energy produced by a licensed supplier.
The Renewables Obligation (RO) is designed to incentivise the generation of electricity from eligible renewable sources in the United Kingdom. It was introduced in England, Wales and Scotland in April 2002 (Northern Ireland in April 2005).The RO places an obligation on licensed electricity suppliers in the United Kingdom to source an increasing proportion of electricity from renewable sources. In 2008/09 it was 9.1%. This figure was initially set at 3% for the period 2002/03 and under current political commitments will rise to 10.4% by the period 2011-12, then by 1% annually for the five years following.
The DEW Project has been classified as being eligible for double Government ROC’s, which are only available for processes that are of the highest environmental friendliness, giving you peace of mind.
Technology
What is an autoclave?
An autoclave is a long cylindrical drum with an internal helix, which has a door on both ends. Waste is loaded into the autoclave, which is then sealed and steam is injected to raise the temperature to around 160C. This is done so that any biodegradable material is broken down very quickly, and any products that can be recycled are cleaned by the steam. The autoclave constantly rotates to ensure that all waste is equally exposed to the steam treatment. Once the process is finished the doors are opened and the biodegraded waste and sanitised recyclable material is unloaded for sorting. An autoclave is very similar to a pressure cooker, only operating on a much larger scale.
What is a WID Compliant Boiler?
This is a boiler which operates with emissions that are within the levels allowed under the Waste Incineration Directive (WID), the latest version of which was passed in 2000 by the European Parliament. In most cases our boilers will have an emission level below 10% of the allowed limit and otherwise less than 50% of the allowed limit. The boilers produce steam which in turn produces green energy via steam turbines.
Where else does this technology operate?
Autoclaves operate successfully in several countries around the world including the USA, Korea and the UK. The sorting technology is used extensively at various sites throughout the UK including one of the largest recycling facilities in the country located in Aldridge near Birmingham. Currently there are a number of WID compliant boilers in operation in the UK, including one run by E.on at Stevens Croft, near Lockerbie in Scotland which has been operating since 2006 (see Contacts and Links page for more information). They have also been successfully used in Germany for over 20 years.
Will there be any other plants in the UK using this type of technology?
There are no other plants in the UK that currently use all of this technology combined on one site. This facility is a World first for Doncaster. It is hoped that The DEW Project will lead the way for future facilities across the country to product the greenest possible energy from waste and divert 100% from landfill.
The following questions were raised at the public meeting in the Visual Arts Centre, Hatfield on 25 June:
When was the link road granted planning permission? – we were not aware.
19 January 2009
Where is the traffic statement?
Now lodged with the application.
What traffic can we expect to see on our streets?
A detailed understanding of the traffic impact can be obtained by reference to the traffic statement. In general terms, traffic flows associated with the Dew project will be within the flow range anticipated when the Hatfield Power Park Phase 1 (2003) consent was granted.
How many trucks will pass my doorstep and children’s school? What is legally permitted?
15 an hour on average will be generated by the Dew project, but this traffic will approach by different routes.
How will the traffic increase during development stages and at completion?
Construction traffic intensity will vary as the development is progressed. On completion the traffic flow will be as described above in Q3.
Please clarify the timeframe for delivery of both DEW and the link road.
The link road is likely to be delivered within 3 years of the reserved matters consent planning application being approved, and at the worst 4 years. The Dew project is programmed to come on stream after 2 years.
Can DMBC hold a meeting to tell us what has planning and what does not?
Planning consent exists for development of 80 acres for B1, B2 and B8 uses and a power station on the colliery site, the Link Road to J5 and 17 acres of B2 at the Moto gateway site.
What will the council do to manage traffic, pollution congestion and accidents whilst the link road is under development and DEW is operational?
The developer has now offered to enter into a routeing agreement with the Council during the period between the Dew project coming on stream and the Link Road being opened.
How was the DEW consultation conducted? – we were not aware
See copy of evaluation report on these websites: www.dew.uk.net or www.waystone.co.uk. Copies of the report will be provided to Hatfield and Stainforth Town Councils.
Where is the waste being transported from?
Different sources yet to be established within the region.
What are the emissions?
Air extracted from the waste processing hall to maintain negative pressure will be passed through a thermal oxidiser before being vented to the atmosphere and this will remove any potential air pollutants.
If the WID compliant boiler option is utilised for the mini power station, then the emissions will be in step with the attached table. This element of the facility will be the subject of a separate planning application.
Will the three councils have to commit to using DEW and if they don’t is there a penalty?
No, as without a contract there is no penalty. If a contract is entered into, then there could be a penalty.
What are the savings we can make by using the facility?
Potential savings in excess of £100 per tonne of municipal waste processed are achievable.
If DMBC don’t use the facility where will waste come from?
The region.
What is the percentage of jobs created for permanent roles and construction?
Permanent jobs are estimated to be 220 in total. Construction jobs are likely to average 100, peaking at 150, but for this project will be for a temporary period of 2 years.
Will other recycling plants lose jobs to counter this job creation?
Recycling and waste processing is a growth industry and Dew is unlikely to impact existing recycling plants; although political decisions to change kerbside collection procedures could cause job losses but create significant cost savings to the local authorities.
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