Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility Case Study Analysis

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Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility Case Study Analysis

Introduction

            The Thermal Recovery Facility (TRF) is managed and operated under the contract that was signed between the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) and Viridor Laing (Greater Manchester) Ltd., in order to continue creating energy sufficient to power 7,000 homes. By burning wastes, Bolton TRF produces energy to create electricity which is then transferred to the National Grid fore domestic use.  Situated in Bolton, Raikes lane, BL3 2NH, this plant burns municipal waste from Salford CC, Bury MBC, Bolton MBC, and Rochdale MBC in different amounts.  The waste material in itself is a mixture of trade, commercial and domestic wastes, and items that have been confiscated from customs and police departments. Also, the facilities and equipment that are fit and used in Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility heighten the need to consider the legal implications of BTRF.

This state above especially due to the fact that by the magnitude of the equipment and facilities that are found in BTRF directly and readily warrants the need to factor environmental and economic implications in BTRF’s existence and operations. Among these facilities, materials and equipment are: an incinerator that has the capacity to burn municipal waste at about 16 tonnes per hour; the waste types that are collected and transported to the site; a large and deep reception pit; supplementary oil fired burners which ensure that temperature does not fall below 8500 C at all times; heat recovery boiler; a gas stream; filters; and international catering wastes. The BTFR has also had total operational hours that run up to 6,793.  This means that Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility is a busy site which must be guided by proper safety regulations which are founded upon environmental, economic and legal concerns.  Because of this, the need to consider or craft policies that define legal, economic and environmental concerns of a plant as large as the Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility is paramount.

As a consultant, it is therefore necessary to divulge details on legal liabilities that may arise from the environmental impacts of operating Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility and the necessary measures that need to be taken to ensure compliance with relevant consents.

The Policy, Environmental and Economic Drivers for the Development and Operation of the Facility

The economic drivers for the development and operation of Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility are far reaching and should thus be seriously taken into consideration. For one, BTRF is run by Europe’s   largest public waste contract which is the Greater Manchester deal, which in turn costs 3.8 pounds. BTRF also deals with an array of numerous materials and energy recovery facilities, as previously mentioned. The fact that BTRF also has to combine RDF production processes and MBT-AD technological processes further stresses the magnitude of BTRF’s economic significance.

Bolton Thermal Recovery Facility Case Study Analysis