Developer Gent Fairhead has applied to construct its proposed Rivenhall energy from waste facility in Essex, using advanced emission technologies and a lower chimney height.
The company has made an application to vary its environmental permit for the Integrated Waste Management Facility, to implement an advanced form of the emission abatement technologies, along with tighter operational controls. Sources close to the project have revealed that the technologies care likely to surpass those existing in the UK.
The application also proposes to reduce the height of the stack from 58 metres to 35 metres and align its Environmental Permit to its existing (and implemented) planning permission.
The Rivenhall Airfield development chimney is a subject of discussion with regard to the permit and planning permission.
Height of the stack has been problematic for the project with the Environment Agency granting a permit for a 58m high stack while Essex county council has only given planning permission for a 35 metre high stack.
Emissions
Now, Gent Fairhead is trying to resolve the situation by the use of advanced technologies so that the impact of the emissions from the lower 35 metre stack will be the same as those approved by the Environment Agency for a higher 58 metre stack but still has not ruled use of a taller stack.
The new technology and method of operation will be an improvement to the existing Environmental Permit, Gent Fairhead says.
Once the Environment Agency has validated and confirmed that the application has been “duly made”, it will commence its assessment and public consultation. A decision is anticipated early next year.
In its decision document granting the facility’s Environmental Permit for the 58m stack the Environment Agency stated: “Even with a stack height of 35 metres we were satisfied that no air quality or human health thresholds would have been exceeded.”
Gent Fairhead said it has also submitted additional information to Essex County Council in support of its existing planning application to increase the height of its stack by 23m (from 35m to 58m) which are intended to align its planning permission to the existing Environmental Permit.
This information highlights “the overwhelming need for the IWMF,” the firm said, and addresses a number of points that have been raised by objectors relating to the proposed change in the height of the stack.
‘Aligned’
Steven Smith, a spokesman on behalf of Gent Fairhead’s project team said: “These are two separate processes although clearly related in their objective. Gent Fairhead is seeking a planning permission and environmental permit that are aligned so that construction may continue on site.
“The new information submitted to the Environment Agency justifies a variation of its existing Environmental Permit to a 35 metre stack but, as this has yet to be approved, the company has also submitted independent assessments to Essex County Council as part of the planning process that prove the need for the plant in Essex and the limited additional impact from increasing the stack height from 35 metres to 58 metres.”
“Construction will restart on the IWMF following approval of the application(s) by either the Environment Agency or Essex County Council.”
Gent Fairhead was granted an environmental permit for the facility in 2017 (see letsrecycle.com story).
The site at Rivenhall will be developed to receive and recover a range of wastes and recyclable materials and generate ‘green’ power by exporting electricity to the local grid.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
