Project Update Bulletin 13

The project update bulletin provides the latest progress on the construction of Gloucestershire’s Energy from Waste facility.

The delivery and installation of large items of process equipment and steelwork supporting the plant and buildings is continuing to schedule.

The main focus of activity has now moved on to the installation of the process equipment, and the steel support structures for this and the main buildings, with some incidental concreting works continuing. The most visible elements of the structural works are the incinerator bottom ash hall (where the ash will be processed to recover metals and prepared for export off-site); the administration block; the boiler hall (containing the combustion grate, the steam boiler and turbine); and the flue gas treatment hall, where the flue gases from combustion will be treated and filtered before passing through the stack to the atmosphere.

Key elements of the process equipment are now in place including the waste combustion grate and waste feed systems, much of the ash handling equipment beneath the grate, elements of the flue gas treatment system, the boiler feed water tank and de-mineralised water tanks (mains water used in the process has to be de-mineralised or cleaned to minimise the build-up of solids in the boiler tubes).

Many sections of the steam boiler, which sits around and above the combustion grate, have arrived on site and are being prepared for installation. A number of large loads are expected to arrive at the site from mid-March. Having agreed a plan with the Highways and Planning Authorities, we shall be using the site emergency entrance to the south of the main entrance gate for these deliveries, using an agreed safety protocol to minimise disruption. We have informed the nearby local parishes.

Some earthmoving is taking place within the site in preparation for the construction of the concrete fire water tank. This structure will be partly set below ground and surrounded by an earth mound which will shield the structure from view. There are some 180 operatives on the site. We are receiving around 120 deliveries per day, and around 120 cars and vans. There are 30 pieces of construction mobile plant including cranes, high level working platforms, excavators, dump trucks and telehandlers (tractor like machines that help us move heavy items around the site).

Site operations and Health and Safety continue to a high standard. Some evening and weekend working is taking place. The recent severe weather has caused some disruption to work both on site and off site (including the installation of the power export cable through Stonehouse), although the broad programme is unaffected.

The Gloucestershire Energy from Waste facility is part of Gloucestershire’s Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover the County’s household waste and to move away from reliance on end-of-life landfill.

For more information about the project, please visit www.ubbgloucestershire.co.uk. Our emergency out-of-hours contact telephone number is 07860 268578.