Below is a key question extracted from an update
on Cornwall's Waste Plan
( Information Supplied by Cornwall County Council )
What if by 2020 the plant is not big
enough to cope?
Sizing an EfW is not an exact science. It requires assumptions to be
made. Some people are concerned that the 240 tonne EfW is too large and
that it will starve out recycling. Others have said that it is not big enough
and will have to be expanded in the future.
The size has been determined on an assumption that the maximum arisings during
the contract term will be 520,000 tonne pa. If
waste arisings are in excess of this, the council can ask the contractor to
increase the capacity of the EfW by adding a third processing line. The
cost of such a variation would be borne by the Council. The EfW has been
designed to allow the inclusion of an additional line should this be required. Alternatively
the Council could decide to landfill the waste instead. However we hope
that the public will achieve reasonable levels of recycling. In which
case the size will be sufficient for the life of the contract.