Veolia waste-to-energy plant receives royal treatment

The United Kingdom operating subsidiary of Paris-based Veolia Environnement has received a visit from a U.K. royal family member to one of its newest waste-to-energy (WTE) plants in England.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal [also known as Princess Anne] took part in a ceremonial opening of the Battlefield Energy Recovery Facility in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, England, on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. The facility was developed by Veolia on behalf of Shropshire Council “to help transform residents’ residual waste into a resource,” says Veolia. The facility is named for the village of Battlefield, near Shrewsbury, which is located where the Battle of Shrewsbury took place in 1403.

The WTE facility processes 90,000 tonnes of non-recyclable household waste from across Shropshire county, generating eight megawatts of energy, or enough to power 10,000 homes via the U.K.’s national grid, according to Veolia.

“Over the past 10 years we have worked very closely with Shropshire Council to develop an integrated approach to the county’s waste management and recycling,” says Estelle Brachlianoff, Veolia’s senior executive vice president for Veolia UK and Ireland. “This facility is part of a long-term investment in recycling and recovery infrastructure over the lifetime of the contract and will significantly contribute towards maximizing landfill diversion.”

Councilor Ann Hartley, chairman of Shropshire Council, comments, “This excellent facility is at the heart of our commitment to sustainability and making the best use of our resources. It allows us to divert non-recyclable waste away from landfill and into a green energy and complements the new household recycling centres we have opened, and the improvements to our kerbside recycling service.”

Adds Hartley, “All these developments have helped to increase our recycling rate, which for many years has been above the national average. As recycling rates go up, the amount of waste going to landfill has fallen hugely benefiting the county’s environment. We have worked closely with Veolia in a partnership that has seen significant and notable improvements to the service that we provide to our residents.”