Yesterday we went on a tour of what we'd vaguely called a recycling plant. I imagine recyclable items being sorted and treated in whatever way made them reusable.
It wasn't anything like that, but in many ways, better.
It was actually an Energy Recovery Facility. As you approach the facility, you can't help but think a large, shiny and very sleek spaceship has landed. Also that Martians must be much larger than popular films would have us believe!
The project was conceived in the late 80s, as the powers that be realised that the county I live in was running out of landfill sites, incinerators didn't meet EU regulations and a new solution was needed. The solution was "different" and ambitious.
The Energy Recovery Facility takes all of the household waste produced in the County and through a serious of processes converts rubbish which would otherwise go to landfill into enough electricity to supply the needs of up to 22,600 local homes.
The process of combustion includes the extraction of ferrous metals. Acidic gases are treated to remove dioxins and heavy metals. Filters remove any remaining 'nasties'. By products include the organic soil conditioner called "Pro-Grow" which is available nationally.
It's a huge operation and runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - so as we're sitting down to our turkey on Christmas Day there is a team out there burning our rubbish and fuelling the National Grid with the electricity to cook it.
The link shows a photo of the "spaceship"!
It wasn't anything like that, but in many ways, better.
It was actually an Energy Recovery Facility. As you approach the facility, you can't help but think a large, shiny and very sleek spaceship has landed. Also that Martians must be much larger than popular films would have us believe!
The project was conceived in the late 80s, as the powers that be realised that the county I live in was running out of landfill sites, incinerators didn't meet EU regulations and a new solution was needed. The solution was "different" and ambitious.
The Energy Recovery Facility takes all of the household waste produced in the County and through a serious of processes converts rubbish which would otherwise go to landfill into enough electricity to supply the needs of up to 22,600 local homes.
The process of combustion includes the extraction of ferrous metals. Acidic gases are treated to remove dioxins and heavy metals. Filters remove any remaining 'nasties'. By products include the organic soil conditioner called "Pro-Grow" which is available nationally.
It's a huge operation and runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year - so as we're sitting down to our turkey on Christmas Day there is a team out there burning our rubbish and fuelling the National Grid with the electricity to cook it.
The link shows a photo of the "spaceship"!
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