Cement fuel plant to be smaller

A FACTORY to process rubbish to power the cement plant is to be smaller than planned.

Recycling firm SITA UK, which will run the Climafuel plant for Cemex, said this week advancements in technology since the plans were approved in 2011 mean it no longer needs to be as big.

The Observer is waiting for SITA to confirm the new dimensions of the £18m development at Malpass Farm, next to the plant on Lawford Road.

It will burn around 250,000 tonnes of unrecycleable household waste a year, and will create 100 jobs during construction and 25 permanent jobs once it opens at the end of next year.

Corrina Scott-Roy, strategic planning manager from SITA UK, said: "Essentially the facility we want to build is the same as the one which already has planning permission, but because of advances in technology we’ll be processing the waste in a slightly different way and won’t need such big buildings.

“We want to reduce the height and size of the eastern process building and at the same time improve the site layout to make sure we can get lorries in and out more efficiently.

"The western process building would remain the same, but there are no plans to build that one yet, as initially it won’t be needed.

"We think the revised plan is an improvement, but as we have a commitment to be producing Climafuel by 2015, we will go ahead and build under the old plans if necessary."

Climafuel is made from paper and cardboard, wood, carpet and textiles

that cannot be recycled. The plant has permission to use it to fuel the kiln as part of its plan to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Ian Southcott, from CEMEX said: "We have been successfully burning Climafuel at Rugby since 2007 and during that time we have been steadily increasing the proportion we use.

"At the moment we source Climafuel from a number of plants around the UK and to be able to secure supplies locally genuinely provides a local solution to the local problem of how best to utilise the waste that the community generates."

The revised plans will be on show at St Matthew’s and St Oswald’s Church Hall, Lawford Road, Rugby on May 30 and 31.

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