Incinerator at St Dennis formally handed over from the construction contractor to the operator

The Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre (CERC) has formally started its operational phase, having completed its construction and testing phases. Following the formal handover from VINCI, the CERC will begin operating under the control of Suez in accordance with the Integrated Waste Management (IWM) Contract, which Cornwall Council manages. As the facility has been accepting and processing waste since last summer as part of the testing phase, there will be no visible difference to the CERC now that it has entered normal operation after this formal handover. The CERC will recover energy from the waste that it processes every year, and use it to create enough electricity to power the equivalent of 21,000 homes. The Environment Agency closely monitor the plant to ensure that it will continue to operate in strict accordance with the permit which they have issued.

Following the damage to a section of the roof at CERC during the high winds on Thursday 23 February, a crane and replacement cladding panels were delivered to site the following weekend to allow repairs to get underway as soon as weather conditions improved. The repairs were completed last Friday.

The roof cladding is attached to rails and a subsequent review of the roof installation identified that the rails in the affected area were not spaced at correct intervals. Following an investigation with the principle contractor, VINCI Environment UK, it was established that this resulted from the misinterpretation of an unclear construction drawing that was specific to this section of the roof. As part of the repairs, additional rails have now been installed, in accordance with the specified design, to prevent a reoccurrence. The IWM contract provided for the Council and Cornwall Energy Recovery Limited to be advised by an Independent Tester. The Independent Tester has fulfilled his duties and has issued a certificate to confirm that he is satisfied that all commissioning tests have been undertaken and the plant is ready to commence operation. He has specifically considered the issue in respect of the roof before issuing his certificate.

March 2017