£77m Manvers waste plan plan set for go-ahead

PLANS for a £77 million waste plant to process Rotherham’s rubbish are expected to be given the go-ahead this week.

Members of Rotherham Borough Council’s Planning Board will meet on Thursday to consider a report by officers recommending approval of the detailed plans by proposed operator 3SE.

The partnership operation, made up by Shanks Group plc, one of Europe’s leading waste management businesses, and Scottish and Southern Energy plc has just signed a 25-year contract worth more than £750 million with Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham (BDR) councils for the treatment of black bag waste.

The proposed plant at Manvers would deal with up to 265,000 tonnes of waste a year and treat leftover household waste from Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham.

The scheme has been boosted by £77m through the Private Finance Initiative.

Shanks will build a Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) and Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility at Bolton Road, Manvers by 2015, if planning permission is granted.

Solid fuel recovered from the plant will be used to at a new multi-fuel power  plant at Ferrybridge to generate electricity.

When the facility at Bolton Road is operational, it will lead to a saving equivalent to 114,000 tonnes of CO2 every year, said Shanks, which will run the plant throughout the 25-year period of the contract until 2040.

Peter Dilnot, chief executive of Shanks Group plc, said: “We are delighted that our joint venture, 3SE, has reached financial close on the BDR PFI contract.

“This contract combines Shanks’ established expertise in advanced and sustainable waste processing with SSE's leadership in sustainable energy generation.

“Working together with the three councils we will maximise recycling and green energy production from waste."

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