A new mechanical biological treatment facility has been opened in Barrow in Cumbria.
It has been built by Shanks as part of its 25-year, £700 million contract with Cumbria County Council.
This is the second MBT plant to be opened in the county, following the opening of an identical facility in Carlisle in December 2011.
The Southern Resource Park will drastically reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill using a sustainable technology that will create a solid recovered fuel (SRF) from residual waste.
Up to 150,000 tonnes of the 180,000 tonnes of household waste created in Cumbria can be treated at the two new MBT plants.
Cumbria County Council deputy leader Cllr Stewart Young said: “It’s a massive step forward for Cumbria to have both of our MBT plants open and operational.
“We have revolutionised the way we deal with waste in the county so that we are greener, more cost-effective and more sustainable for the future. Sending large amounts of waste to landfill was quite simply no longer a viable option economically or environmentally.”
Shanks Group chief executive Peter Dilnot added: “We are delighted to have opened this state-of-the-art facility which completes a revolution in the way Cumbria deals with its household waste. We look forward to working with the authority and local residents to make more from Cumbria’s waste by increasing recycling and creating renewable energy.”
