Dearne Valley waste plant bidder named

THE creation of a controversial waste recycling plant has moved a step closer after three partnership councils selected their preferred bidder for the project.

The BDR Partnership—made up of local authorities from Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham—announced that energy partnership 3SE’s bid was its preferred choice for the state-of-the-art facility in a statement issued today.

Under 3SE’s plans black bin waste will be composted and turned into dried fuel at the Bolton Road site, at Manvers, rather than being incinerated.

Rival bidders SITA Lend Lease had planned to create an on-site incinerator which would burn non-recycleable waste to create electricity.

The BDR Partnership has secured £77.4m of Private Finance Initiative funding towards the cost of the scheme which aims to reduce the amount of waste currently sent to landfill.

Final confirmation of Preferred Bidder status remains subject to 3SE—itself a partnership between Shanks Group plc and SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc)—signing a Preferred Bidder letter and approving this with their funders, a process expected to be completed this afternoon.

Further discussions into the exact nature of the contract between BDR and 3SE will now take place.

The final award of the building contract is expected to take place later this year.

A spokesman for the BDR Partnership added: “The 3SE scheme is also subject to planning permission. This means there will be a detailed consultation and planning process, giving local residents the opportunity to make their views known.”

“If planning and other permissions are granted, construction work will start in the spring of 2013, and the facilities will open in 2015.”