Shared plant still an option

GUERNSEY could still share an energy-from-waste plant in Jersey. 'Personally I feel the option is still there for a joint plant for both islands,' said John Richardson, Jersey's Transport and Technical Services chief officer.

'It has some economic benefits but the risk is higher for Guernsey because it would have to ship its waste. Economically, I think it's still a viable option.'

He acknowledged that the decision was Guernsey's to make.

'Waste is a dirty product and you need to make sure the technology and solution you put in are very strong and robust.'

Jersey is looking to build its plant near the harbour in St Helier.

'There are obvious concerns about bringing in waste but most people would see the benefits for both islands and it's something we would be happy to look at again,' he said.

'The cost differential between two individual plants in both islands and one big one is just in favour of one big plant, but there is not a lot in it.'

He believed Guernsey would get the energy back through a joint link because the EfW project was working closely with Jersey Electricity.

Jersey has had an incinerator at Bellozanne since 1979 but it needs replacing.

It has reviewed nearly 60 alternative technologies.

They all had to have operated fully for two years so Jersey knew that what it was buying was tried and tested.

The island is currently in the tender process - those in the running are three conventional EfW plants, a semi-modified plant and the other an alternative technology.

The total cost of the EfW project in Jersey is £75m. for a two-stream plant - about twice the size of what Guernsey is considering.

It is aimed in Jersey to get the tenders back to the States for approval in September 2007 with a view to having a plant built and commissioned by 2010.

'Costs will go up if you delay the decision on energy from waste,' Mr Richardson warned.

'The market for energy from waste plants was very slow five years ago and is turning very rapidly. There are some very big plants coming on stream in the next five years in the UK. Guernsey and Jersey are very small players in the market.

'Costs will rise a lot unless we get on fairly quickly with a long-term solution,' he said.

Mr Richardson was in Guernsey to lecture to members of the Channel Islands Group of Professional Engineers and some politicians on developing a solid-waste strategy to meet the needs of a small island.