CIWM would like to use cookies to store information on your computer, to improve our website. One of the cookies we use is essential for parts of the site to operate and has already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site, but parts of the site will not work. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our CIWM Privacy Policy.

CIWM
You are here: CIWM  >  Publications  >  Latest News  >  SITA Aims For Plastic-To-Diesel Waste Services At The Olympic

SITA Aims For Plastic-To-Diesel Waste Services At The Olympic

19 August 2011

SITA UK has revealed its first waste plastic-to-diesel plant could be operating in time to provide fuel for its vehicles working at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games

SITA chief executive David Palmer-Jones revealed the company was hoping to secure planning approval next month for the plant to be built at Avonmouth, near Bristol.

The "UK's first" plant will convert waste plastics into fuel and would then aim to be operational by next summer.

Being developed Irish based technology company Cynar, the plant will use shredding and then pyrolysis technology to turn one tonne of waste plastics into 700 litres of diesel.

Palmer-Jones said it would be "wonderful" if waste-derived fuel produced at Avonmouth could be used at next year's Olympics and Paralympics in March 2011, which SITA won the contract to provide waste services for the Olympics.

SITA's commitment to develop around 10 facilities around the UK under the partnership with Cynar, which would offer the total capacity to treat around 60,000 tonnes of low-grade waste plastics.

South London was earmarked as the location for the second plant. He explained that, if and when five plants were built, the company would be able to achieve self-sufficiency for its entire vehicle fleet to be fuelled by the diesel, which has received end-of-waste recognition from the Environment Agency (EA).

If all 10 plants are built, SITA expect to produce 42m litres-a-year of waste plastic derived fuel, as well up to 15m litres of kerosene for use in commercial boilers. The kerosene produced is in the process of being considered for end-of-waste fuel status by the EA.

With two million tonnes of mixed plastics being sent to landfill each year, Mr Palmer-Jones said he was confident there was "adequate feedstock" of the low-grade plastics needed to supply the 10 plants. However he said: "We won't use high grade levels of plastics initially - they will be extracted. We're aiming for low grades, not PET."

Darrel Moore