About Energy Recovery Facilities
Frequently Asked Questions
- Questions during consultation
- How will the energy produced on-site be connected to the National Grid? What will be used to transfer it, and how is it safe?
- What source of fuel will you use to initiate and maintain the burn and where will the supply of this fuel enter the site (other than self generated electricity) as; for example, gas pipelines can be extremely damaging to our country side if this were to be the fuel used?
- Where do you intend to link up with the National Grid and what is the proposed line of the cables and pylons?
- Please be more specific about the expected Vehicle Movements, including both H.G.V's and Commercial Light Goods Vehicles, delivering smaller quantities of Commercial and Industrial waste in a typical week?
- Discharging waste vehicles is not a clean process. How will you manage vermin, especially scavenging birds as some delivery vehicles, even trailures, will by their very nature suffer spillage?
- Will any air and soil particulate monitoring in the immediate and surrounding areas be undertaken?
- Can you confirm monitoring arrangements for all gases in the stack, whether there are double knock gas sensors (i.e. two working independently should one fail) and shutdown procedures?
- Is stack monitoring shared in real time online with Natural Resources Wales?
- Is it true that the plant will be built and operated by Hitachi?
- Will all staff working at the plant be local or will there be a blend of specialist staff and local staff? If so, please outline numbers and proportions?
- Is the plant a 24-hour operation?
- Will lorries be arriving at the plant both day and night during the 24-hour period?
- What is the number of projected lorries arriving at the plant on a daily basis?
- Please identify the local lorry road routes being used
- What will be the weight of the lorries?
- Why is the plant bigger than the previously proposed?
- What type of lorries will be used? E.g. rigid bodied or articulated
- At present the entrance is to the south-west. I can see no other reference to a new entrance. If there is to be a new entrance, exactly where will it join the A458? Please clarify this.
- Are the many errors and omissions from the Archaeology and Heritage chapter a deliberate effort to downplay the unique nature of the local area?
- Is the existing tree line surrounding the quarry remaining as it is currently? Are they increasing the planting?
- How can you ensure that household, residual, commercial and industrial waste delivered in bulk to your facility does not contain dangerous and hazardous material when you show no inspection, testing or identification processes for incoming waste?
- In the Ecology section, you state that approx. 2 hectares of new habitat will be provided including wildlife ponds and new native woodland planting. Yet the area marked 08 on the map looks very small. Does the area of ponds and new planting stretch north-east and north-west where it is shown green on the map?
- Where the ash will be transported to?
- Incinerator operators refer to ‘punching through’ the cold air in the event of temperature inversions. Is fossil fuel on standby to do this, to increase the output temperature of the stack, or do you adjust the other inputs instead?
- Of the 300 jobs that are expected to be generated during the construction, how many will be local?
- Could you explain the assumption of 18,000 tonnes of available LACW from Wrexham in 2025?
- Do you plan to remove recyclable C and I waste when it arrives in Buttington. How will this work in practice and how will you dispose of it?
- I would like to know what definitions you are applying for “conservation areas and historic battlefields”.
- How will this proposed project contribute to Welsh Governments ambition to reduce greenhouse gases, and to what measurable conclusions?
- With a Welshpool postcode of SY21 7RG, will we be affected by smells of waste not processed, or via the operation itsself?
- How many working days of 7 will the plant be operated?
- How many working days of 7 will the 4 planned HGV per hour be operating?
- What is the maximum distance the HGV be traveling from, and what measures will be in place to offset the emissions of the HGV?
- In regard to air quality statements in the booklet, please define “there will also not be a significant odour impact?”
- Please be more specific in respect to Health impact made in the booklet as to “measures will be implemented which will aim to mitigate the potential health impact?
- Are house prices in Welshpool expected to be affected in a negative way, should the application be accepted?
- Please outline emergency procedures in the event of an unintentional release of gases from the stack.
- Will waste becoming exclusively from Wales or will some of it becoming from England. If it is both nations, what percentage will be coming from Wales and what percentage will be coming from England?
- What interventions are assumed in the policy intervention scenario both for Welsh and for English waste?
- You refer to the usual range of residual waste types but could you please provide full details of the quantities of waste that you are assuming for all the various types both for LACW and for C and I waste and the classification scheme that you are using?
- The combined height of the flue at 70m and the OD of the quarry floor at 95 m seem to indicate the outlet at 165m. Is this correct?
- When would there be a need for increasing the exit temperature, in order to aid dispersion of pollutants? i.e. what is the height OD of the top level of the cold air when additional energy is needed?
- Using the area specified 2.17.2 (page 35), how often (in the modelled data or 2019) did inversions occur in the Severn valley adjacent to Buttington, and what were their greatest depths? And in how many cases e.g. based on the year 2019, would you expect to raise flue output temperature to punch through an inversion?
- As the site is situated adjacent the main line to Aberystwyth why has rail not been considered the mode of transport for the rubbish?
- The use of rail as a means of transport would have less impact on the environment and greatly reduce the carbon footprint, consequently I am wondering why this alternative has not been considered not with standing more heavy lorries on our already congested and poorly maintained roads?
- What exactly constitutes non residual waste, can you be more specific please?
- How will the power be transferred to the national grid, underground or via pylons?
- What hours of the day will the site be operational and does this include the comings and goings of heavy lorries?
- Will the site be operational seven days a week?
- What is the level of pollution we can expect in the area and will there be associated effluvium as a result of this waste?
- Where do you envisage imported workers being housed whilst working on the construction of the plant?
- What steps have you taken to investigate the feasibility of moving waste by rail?
- Please could you detail what steps you took to engage the local community in the preparation of the Health Impact Assessment?
- You have sent out a 1000 forms which in my opinion is inadequate and you are not informing all the effected people. Can you explain why this is the case please?
- Do you feel this is a fair deal for us, would you want your home to be in the same position?
- Are you going to pay for private medical care when we get ill from toxic ash?
- In the construction phase there will be around 300 jobs created. In the experience of earlier HZI projects, where did the construction phase workforce come from?
- Did previous staff live locally to a project, or were they largely migrant European/ migrant British?
- Not a lot of people live in our area. How will such a large external labour force be accommodated?
- The type of waste going into the plant is still unclear. You stated in the webinar that glass and plastics (recyclates) will be taken out. Does this residual ‘waste’ also include paper and card? Wood? Hard plastics? Food waste? Mattresses? Carpets?
- There seems to a great deal of variability in residual waste because recycling rates fall to less than 40% in the West Midlands. This means that the ‘non-recyclable’ part from the West Midlands area will probably contain food waste and also be wet from nappies etc. That's how it works in the Birmingham area where householders put recyclables in one box and all the rest in one other box. How does wet waste affect the calorific value of the fuel load?
- Are your projections for recycling in England underpinned by English recycling targets?
- Please provide details of the 23 organisations and individuals referred to in Chapter 15 to whom consultation invitations were sent in the course of preparing the HIA.
- When did you decide the closing time for registering for the “drop-in” session on 15th October? And why was this deadline not included in the consultation booklet?
- Some of my friends who live in Welshpool say they haven't received this public consultation leaflet. Please advise what areas in Welshpool have had it and why not all of Welshpool has received it?
- In the Health Impact section it states a liaison group is being established. When is this happening, who and where?
- Where are the 300 staff coming from to construct this ERF and where will they be staying?
- I understand that waste is being transported up to 2 hours away. Is this correct as surely costs would be high relating to this and the environmental impact unfriendly regarding diesel fumes, etc.
- Para. 7.1.6 of technical appendix 15-1 refers to how the "drop-in" sessions were supposedly publicised. Please provide specific details of which local paper and which public notice boards were used and to whom the e-mail correspondence was addressed?
- Why has Broad Energy Wales consulting on its plans now, during the Covid 19 crisis?
- Can I ask why many of Welshpool residents have not received the plans or questionnaire?
- Are any additional sound barriers being put around the development?
- Is the building being put at the bottom of the current hole, or will the ground have to be made up?
- What is being put in place to safeguard the SSI site?
- What lighting is being proposed and how will this affect neighbouring properties? Particularly as an environmental survey at Cefn Farm identified a number of bats in the area, and downlighting was the only form of external lighting permitted?
- Will the stack and light on the top of the stack be on all night or flash? Will it not be in flight line for air ambulances etc from Welshpool airport?
- How can you prove there are no long term health issues associated with incineration?
- How does such a significant increase in Co2 as well as the other contaminants that come out of the chimney affect both human and animal health? Will land, arable and pasture be adversely affected by, for example small particle contamination?
- Is Wales not one of the most effective recycling countries in the world? Why are incineration sites required?
- How much waste i.e. ash etc will be transported off site? Where will this go?
- How are Broad Energy going to safeguard the health and safety of approx 150 school children, with the school being located within 300 metre of the proposed site? In terms of pollution, traffic, health etc
- The road into and out of the quarry is approx 200m away from an accident hotspot, on a very busy road, particulary during the summer holiday periods. Will the increase in traffic not have a detrimental effect on the road surface, cause additional pollution, but likely to increase the risk of accident over the narrow Cefn bridge?
- What experience and expertise/qualification do broad energy have for this type of development and running it long term? What other waste sites for example?
- You state there will be 30 permanent job's following the development. These job's will require a very specialist skill set, do we have these skills currently available in the local population?
- What percentage of the waste you intend to burn have you estimated to come from Montgomeryshire for the life of the plant?
- What is the average haul distance assumed for incoming waste?
- In quoting existing capacity for EfW has account been taken of unbuilt plants with planning permission, eg the combined heat and power plant of up to 15,000tpa proposed by Potters in Welshpool?
- Given the 30 year minimum life of such plants what is your calculation of need in 2050 vs now?
- The site was advocated on the basis that it was adjacent to the railway to avoid road haulage from non-local sources, how much waste is arriving by rail?
- The proximity principle means that wherever possible waste treatment should take place as close as possible to the waste arisings. To what extent do your proposals satisfy this requirement?
- Have you applied the R1 Energy Efficiency Formula to assess if the plant will be legal in Wales without heat recovery and what risk is there of this happening with increased future recycling targets?
- Has your modelling of air emission impacts taken account of the local inversions in the Severn Valley and the frequency of local katabatic winds in stable conditions in winter?
- The detailed tables in Chapter 15 have footers identifying that they are For Consultation. Does that mean they are simply for inclusion in your pre-application, or is there a wider consultative purpose?
- Please would you clarify why this proposal has been grown since its inception from a project to process up to 100,000 tonnes per year to the current proposal of up to 167,000 tonnes per year?
- Of the planned 150000 tons of waste to be burned at the plant what is the expected weight of burnt residue and where will it be deposited? What is the maximum capacity of the site and if it is greater than 150,000 tons will you apply for a higher capacity if so, how much greater?
- Will you be burning materials that produce toxic gases if not how do you ensure none are burnt?
- Will you install detectors that will pick up hazardous gases from hazardous materials that have not been detected before burning?
- How much will you be paid by the authorities to burn waste per ton and is there a weigh bridge on site?
- What is the expected electricity output per year in Giga watt hours? and what will the electricity board pay you to return it to the grid?
- How many days a week will the burner be operating and where will the waste awaiting burn be stored?
- What flue gases will you be monitoring and will it be continuous. If a toxic gas is detected will the plant automatically shut down. How frequently will the gas sensors be cleaned and tested?
- What attracted you to this site and have you had previous applications elsewhere turned down?
- By burning 150,000 tons of waste annually you will be emitting up to 150,000 tons of greenhouse gases, have you any concerns about this?
- Why are you adding to greenhouse gases when there is a process of closing coal fired power stations, because of their greenhouse gas emissions?
- How many trucks will be used to transport the ASH out of the Quarry?
- What type of trucks, size of trucks will be used?
- How many electric lorries will be buying for this project? Where are you going to position all the charging stations? Who will be paying for this?
- Can I have a copy of the job descriptions that people can apply for?
- Have you calculated the climate impact of the round trips of all lorries involved in haulage of waste to the site? What is this as a % of the calculated 'benefit' of diverting the waste from landfill?
- The road into and out of the quarry is approx. 200m away from an accident hotspot. Will the increase in traffic have a detrimental effect on the road surface, cause additional pollution, and increase the risk of accident over the narrow Cefn bridge?
- About Energy Recovery Facilities
- Jobs and Employment
- The Environment
- How the ERF Will Operate
- Where is Buttington Quarry?
Back to top