Ireland currently has a capacity deficit in alternative treatments to landfill – a concern raised consistently by Forfás¹ in its annual reports on the Irish waste sector. The development of alternative facilities has long been a policy objective for the local authorities but implementation has often fallen short in most regions for different reasons.

This has to change and the construction of medium to large-scale facilities needs to become a reality if Ireland is to meet its EU Landfill Diversion targets, which impose a mandatory ceiling on the acceptable tonnages (at landfill) of biodegradable waste for 2010 – with quantities progressively reducing in 2013 and again in 2016.

Significant expansion of waste infrastructure is likely to come in the next three years and will be focused in two main areas:

• The development of biological facilities –such as composting and anaerobic digestion – to treat source-separated food waste from household and commercial premises.

• The development of facilities to cater for the treatment of residual wastes. The facilities which fall into this category – and are most likely to be developed – are incineration (waste-to-energy) and mechanical biological treatment, although other less established solutions are also expected to be developed. These will possibly include technologies such as pyrolysis, steam treatment and autoclaving.

Irish contractors and sub-contractors will play an active role in the construction of the civil, mechanical and electrical works for these facilities. Typical works at facilities will include road widening, site investigations, excavation and ground works, steel structures, concrete placement, electrical & mechanical fitting, and general building works. Appointed contractors will work alongside international partners who will typically supply and fit the specialised mechanical parts for these complicated process facilities.

Infrastructural developments in these two areas are already underway and are expected to ramp up considerably over the next year.

On the biological side, there are several integrated waste sites with permission for composting elements – but for the most part these have not yet been developed at these locations. The changing environment for the industry is expected to stimulate construction of these biological elements as operators seek to develop their capabilities to meet market demands.

There are also stand-alone large-scale biological treatment facilities in train. Mr Binman, a waste collection contractor based in Limerick, is planning to develop a 50,000 tonnes facility at Foynes – using anaerobic digestion technology to treat organic waste. Construction is due to commence this year.

Capacities for the treatment of residual wastes are also ramping up across Ireland. At present there are two regional-scale incineration facilities under construction – a 200,000 tonne capacity plant in Meath and a 600,000 tonne capacity plant in Dublin.

The facility in Meath is scheduled to be operational in 2011 and represents an investment of €130 million in the Irish waste sector. Irish contractor John Sisk & Son was appointed in 2009 as the project’s main civil engineering contractor. The project is also employing a large number sub-contractors – with over 12 construction companies, some locally based, working on site at the end of last year.

The incineration facility planned for Dublin represents an estimated capital investment of €350 million in the Irish economy. The project is being developed under a Public-Private-Partnership arrangement between Dublin City Council and Covanta Energy, a US-based developer of waste-to-energy facilities.

An associated project of the proposed incinerator will be the development of a district heating scheme for Dublin – supplying hot water to homes and businesses across the city. Elements of the scheme have already been constructed, although the majority of building works remain to be completed. It is anticipated that a total capital investment of up to €50 million will be required to complete the project.

The south east region is also advancing the development of waste infrastructure and in 2009 issued a pre-qualification document for the procurement of integrated waste services. The region is seeking to develop a large-scale thermal facility with a minimum capacity of 150,000 tonnes. However the construction of such a facility is at least three to five years away – with a suitable site and regulatory permission still to be put in place.

Other regions and operators are taking a different route and are opting for mechanical biological treatment – with anaerobic digestion units being the preferred biological component. Panda Waste has recently developed such an arrangement at their facility in Slane and other operators are opting for the same technology.

Bord Na Mona² recently issued a procurement notice stating their intention to develop a 250,000 tonne mechanical biological treatment facility which will be one of the largest in the country. Whether the project goes ahead remains to be seen – but from a construction perspective it is one worth watching.

This is an abridged version of the article written by Warren Phelan for the Irish Construction Industry magazine in March 2010.

Contact:
Warren Phelan
T: +353 (0) 1 488 2900
E: warren.phelan@rpsgroup.com

¹ The Republic of Ireland’s National Policy Advisory Body For Enterprise.

² A semi-State-owned company responsible for the development of a portfolio of businesses to provide secure and sustainable energy and power generation.