Incinerator waste 'is a £50m. saving'

A DEPUTY responsible for overturning mass-burn incineration in Guernsey claims his actions could save taxpayers more than £50m. Deputy Scott Ogier yesterday rejected claims in Saturday's Guernsey Press that his 2004 requete halting the development of an £80m. energy-from-waste plant at Longue Hougue cost the island up to £62m.

'The final capital cost is almost certain to be less, reducing the treatment cost and saving islanders about £30 per tonne or more. More than 70,000 tonnes per annum over 25 years equals a £50m.-plus saving.'

He said that as a result of the delay, recycling and other initiatives had considerably extended the forecast life of Mont Cuet landfill.

'This would not have occurred in this timescale under the original incinerator proposal. Rather than wasting landfill space, we may have created more.'

Deputy Ogier said it had since been proved that incinerator plants could be built in the Isle of Man 'and everywhere else' at a cost far below that tendered by Lurgi, the company poised to sign the States contract before the House sanctioned the delay.

And, he added, future projects would not require consultation fee-spending on the scale of the £6m. for the Lurgi project.

Even the 'most optimistic' cash flows suggested that the EfW plant would have earned about £3.6m. from electricity over the first six years, said Deputy Ogier, not the £4.8m. calculated by this newspaper.

Changing procurement arrangements to design, build and operate for the full life of 25 years meant the States would seek tenders from operators, not builders. The operators bought plant all the time and their confidence would not have been damaged, as suggested by consultant Enviros.

The successful contractor could even deliver the solution within two years, with 'massive savings to the public'.

Another St Sampson's deputy, Sam Maindonald, who backed the requete, said the £62m. did not take into account the benefits of the delay.

People were recycling more and had changed their ways and it was impossible to put a monetary figure on that, she said.

'Yes there was a cost, you can argue, but I think we have saved an awful lot. I don't know how you quantify those savings and those benefits and how people have changed their lifestyles, but they are there and you can't ignore that.'

Deputy Maindonald said she did not have a problem with a smaller burner - in May last year, the House rejected an amendment from Deputy Mike Torode for one. What she objected to was the 'Rolls-Royce, all-singing, all-dancing project that would undoubtedly have been over budget because of what they 'Environment' were proposing 'in 2004''.

Delaying the project to conduct further research was worthwhile.

'What we are going to end up with will be the most appropriate form of waste disposal that Guernsey needs: that is what we've done.'