An official unveiling ceremony took place today at Viridor's recycling and resource recovery facility, at Longley Lane in Manchester to celebrate the landmark partnership between Viridor and FHH for the rail haulage of household waste and Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF) in the Greater Manchester area.
In April 2009, Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) signed a 25 year recycling and waste contract with Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) Limited (VLGM); a partnership between Viridor and John Laing plc. The £3.8 billion contract is Europe's largest ever waste and renewable energy deal and includes a £631 million construction programme, creating a network of world class facilities to treat Greater Manchester's waste.
A crucial part of the contract is the transport of SRF from the Longley Lane facility to a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Plant in Runcorn. SRF will be produced at waste treatment plants in Greater Manchester by segregating recyclable material for processing and turning the residue into fuel for use at the Runcorn plant. This plant will produce electricity and steam to replace energy currently generated from non-renewable sources. The FHH partnership with Viridor will last for the duration of the waste and recycling contract.
The movement of waste by rail offers a more environmentally friendly alternative to road. In the last two years alone FHH has moved over 900,000 tonnes of waste for Viridor in the Greater Manchester area. This is equivalent to removing 78,260 lorries from the UK's roads and thus reducing congestion and the associated CO2 emissions.
Mike Hellings, Managing Director, Viridor commented: "The naming of this train marks yet another important milestone in the development of the Greater Manchester recycling and waste contract. By removing vehicles from the roads, as well as maximising resource efficiency across the region, we are ensuring that progress towards high levels of recycling and recovery for Greater Manchester is being kept on track! In Freightliner, we are working with a haulier that provides not only a quality service but delivers the reliability which is required as part of our ambitious plans for recycling and creating green fuel for the future."
Paul Smart, Managing Director, Freightliner Heavy Haul Ltd commented: "The migration towards Combined Heat and Power is a significant environmental development in which the Greater Manchester recycling and waste contract has invested to provide two distinct benefits - reduction in landfill and production of energy.
Freightliner Heavy Haul is proud that Viridor has selected FHH as their transport partner in delivering this vital service to the residents of Greater Manchester. FHH is also pleased to be associated with the transition from landfill to Combined Heat and Power for the disposal of Greater Manchester's household waste. The combination of sustainable disposal using sustainable transport is a tribute to the environmental credentials of our customer Viridor.