Energy from Waste
Once the preferred options of reducing, re-using and recycling waste materials have been explored, Energy from Waste is one of the best available techniques for recovering energy from the remaining residual waste.
How does the Energy from Waste process work?
Energy from Waste remains one of the best available techniques for recovering residual energy by processing non-recyclable waste into a fuel source.
The large volumes of energy that they generate helps to reduce the dependence on unsustainable fossil fuels, whilst providing an environmentally friendly alternative to disposing of waste at landfill.
Energy from Waste facilities make a vital contribution to both the sustainable energy generation capacity in the UK and the security of energy for the nation.
At Grundon, we have access to a network of Energy from Waste facilities, providing our customers with an environmentally friendly and cost-effective treatment route for the disposal of their general waste.
A prime example of this is our Lakeside Energy from Waste facility, located near Heathrow Airport. The facility is a joint venture with Viridor and has been fully operational since January 2010.
The Lakeside Energy from Waste facility currently process around 430,000 tonnes of non-recyclable general waste a year from local authorities and businesses, enabling them to divert 100% of their waste from landfill.
The facility generates 41MW of power, enough to provide electricity to 56,000 homes, which is equivalent to a town the size of Slough.
Sending your general waste for disposal at Energy from Waste facilities diverts it from landfill, reduces disposal costs and generates electricity for the National Grid.
What are the benefits of using Energy from Waste technology and facilities such as the Lakeside Energy from Waste?
The treatment of waste via Energy from Waste facilities complements Grundon’s existing network of Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). This enables us to recover and recycle recyclable materials at our MRFs, whilst offering the most cost effective and Best Practical Environmental Option (BPEO) for the minimisation and treatment of general waste – also known as residual or non-recyclable waste.
Our customers benefit from sending their general waste via Energy from Waste, as it provides a cost effective solution which not only meets the Waste Framework Directive requirements by diverting 100% of waste from landfill, but also minimising their exposure to paying the continually increase levels of Landfill Tax.
It also reduces the amount of harmful greenhouse gases, such as methane, created by disposing of general waste at landfill.
The Energy from Waste process displaces the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced by the burning of conventional fossil fuels, in addition to the environmental impacts caused through their extraction.
It also reduces the reliance on non-renewable energy resources, especially those imported into the UK from mainland Europe.