The plant, which is under contract for the next 25 years, will now be accepting up to 190,000 tonnes of residual waste each year from local homes and household waste recycling centres (HWRCs), producing over 116,000 megawatt hours (MWh) for the National Grid every year – enough energy to power 25,000 homes.
The facility moved from the commissioning stage to operational in October, but the construction team has been working since then to address any remaining snags and complete the outdoor wildlife area.
An on-site Visitor Centre will be opened for use next month, providing educational tours, courses and workshops for schools, colleges and universities.
Commenting on the announcement, General Manager Stacey Wright said: “We are pleased to have advanced to being fully operational from the commissioning phase and that the first few months have proceeded as planned.
“We are now making great progress on our Visitor Centre, living wall and our commemorative mural depicting the history of the site. From next month onwards, we hope to begin hosting visits and tours for community and educational groups to show how the county’s waste is being treated and converted into energy and useful byproducts, and how the facility supports Gloucestershire’s recycling activities.”
Councillor Nigel Moor, Cabinet Member for Environment and Planning for Gloucestershire County Council, added: “Javelin Park is a cost-effective and environmentally sound solution for processing the county’s waste that can’t be recycled. It will generate enough power for 25,000 homes, massively reduces carbon and saves the taxpayer £100 million over 25 years.”
Orginal Source