Waste management company Shanks has been selected as preferred bidder by the South West Wales Regional Waste Partnership to manage the region’s food waste.
Under the 20-year contract Shanks will develop a new anaerobic digestion facility capable of processing 60,000 to 90,000 tonnes per year.
It will be located at the company’s New Inn site at Pontypool, and will divert more than 97 per cent of the waste it processes from landfill.
The company has already submitted a planning application to Torfaen County Borough Council for the development of a new AD plant at New Inn.
Shanks UK managing director Ian Goodfellow said: “We are delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder for the South West Wales Regional Waste Partnership and look forward to working closely with them as we finalise our plans to make more from the region’s food waste.”
The South West Wales Regional Waste Partnership is made up of councils from Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire and Bridgend.
Chair of the Joint Committee Councillor Ted Latham said: “If we are to meet the targets set by the Welsh Government and the European Union, then we must develop new waste treatment facilities and that includes anaerobic digestion. Not only is this because landfill space is running out, but also because of the harmful environmental effects of landfill.
“The priority for each of the partner authorities is to recycle and compost as much of our waste as possible. It has been extremely important to work collaboratively on this project and we are delighted to announce Shanks as our preferred bidder.”
