FOI Request - Waste Sent for Incineration
Request 101003536647
According to publicly available data, a proportion of the council’s disposal waste is sent for incineration each year.
1. Can the council detail which companies it currently has a contract with to dispose of waste through incineration?
2. Can the council state whether either of these contracts require a minimum calorific value to be processed through them each year? If so, what are the arrangements to cover any shortfall (for example, is there a cost and what is that cost?)
3. Is there a benefits sharing arrangement as part of the incineration contract? E.g. income from the energy sold from the incinerator to the grid and/or by products sold from incineration like Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA). Can you provide details of those arrangements?
4. Does the council have an arrangement with central government to delay the collection of food waste beyond March 2026, and if so, is this a result of the existing waste contract?
5. Can the council also detail the start date of its incineration contract, the overall value and the contract term of the contract including any extensions. In this answer, can the authority explicitly state whether or not the contract is part of a PFI deal. If there are multiple contracts can the council detail each.
6. Publicly available data details how much waste has been sent for incineration at each waste disposal authority. However I wish to know - at your authority - how much of that waste sent for incineration was initially collected as recycling?
• Can you please return the tonnage for the 23/24 financial year, the 22/23 financial year and the 21-22 financial year.
7. In the 23/24 financial year - can the council detail which incinerator plants waste was sent to, the location of the plant and the quantity in tonnes sent to each incinerator plant.
*To be clear, this question refers to the physical location to which waste is sent for incineration. I am not seeking the name of the company - I am seeking the name of the plant itself and its location.
8. Are there any caveats to allow early exit from the above contracts with no fine e.g. if there were a change in government policy or legislation?
Response 19-04-2024
1. EFW Ness Ltd (Acciona).
2. No minimum calorific value CV.
3. We are unable to share this detail as this information is is considered commercially sensitive information and is therefore exempt under Section 33(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002- Commercial Sensitivity.
4. We already collect food waste as required in Scotland.
5. August 2019, operational for 20 years from December 2023. No PFI. Total value approx. £370m.
6. None, all collected recycling materials go to various reprocessing outlets within the UK.
7. Facility only operating in Services since December 2023, but annual tonnage capacity of facility is 150,000 and is expected to process tonnage in that region.
8. Ness Energy Facility, Greenbank Crescent, Aberdeen. Tonnage as per Q7.
9. No