Grundon and Viridor announce new Energy from Waste facility proposals for West Sussex

Grundon have today announced outline plans for the development of a new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in a joint venture with Viridor.

Grundon have signed Heads of Terms with Viridor, which is part of the FTSE 250-listed Pennon Group, and one of the UK’s largest recycling and waste management providers.

This follows the success of Grundon’s existing joint venture with Viridor at the Lakeside Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in Colnbrook.

The joint venture in Ford, West Sussex, will be constructed at Grundon’s Ford Circular Technology Park, in close proximity to its existing waste transfer and depot operations, and adjacent to Viridor’s existing Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).

The addition of the Ford EfW to Grundon’s existing network of industry-leading facilities will further enable the company to help deliver alternatives to disposal at landfill, helping its customers meet their environmental targets and aspirations.

The proposed location already benefits from planning consent for an EfW facility, which followed its development plan allocation by West Sussex Council.

Speaking about the announcement Grundon’s Deputy Chairman, Neil Grundon said:

“Our proposals to construct an EfW at Ford fully support the UK’s ambition to treat its non-recyclable waste in an efficient and effective manner, providing an environmentally friendly alternative to disposal of waste at landfill, whilst also contributing to both the sustainability and security of energy generation.

“We look forward to bringing our high standards of professional operation and focus on innovation to the new EfW at Ford. We firmly believe our existing joint venture Lakeside EfW with Viridor demonstrates we have a proven track record for developing EfW facilities which operate to the highest standards and performance levels.

“We are also excited with the proposals as they represent a major milestone for our strategic growth plans for the region and our longer-term commitment to develop a Circular Technology Park at Ford.”

Phil Piddington, Viridor’s Managing Director said:

“We are delighted to be moving forward with our EfW growth strategy, transforming non-recyclable waste into low carbon energy. The market fundamentals for EfWs remain robust, with the gap between combustible residual waste arisings and EfW capacity forecast to remain around seven million tonnes per annum to 2035. Viridor remains at the forefront of the UK recycling and energy sector and we are proud that our activity and investment continues to support the growth of a circular economy.

“We are very pleased to build on the success of the Lakeside facility with Grundon as our partners once again.”