Brookhurst Wood A1 Displays x13.qxd - Biffa

Brookhurst Wood
Mechanical Biological Treatment Explained
Background
● Mechanical Biological Treatment is not a
single technology.
● It is a combination of sorting and treatment
technologies that use waste as a resource.
● It is a proven and reliable way of handling
waste.
● Biffa operates similar facilities to that
proposed for Brookhurst Wood in Leicester
and on the Isle of Wight, and the specific
technology proposed is used on a number of
sites in Germany.
How it works
● Black bag household waste leftover after householders have separated out recyclable materials is delivered to
the facility where it is shredded.
● The shredded waste passes over a series of conveyors and other sorting equipment, which separates out
biodegradable organic waste that easily rots (mainly food waste) from other materials.
● This sorting process also separates out metals, which are sent for recycling.
● The remaining shredded material (mostly paper and plastic) is used to produce Refuse Derived Fuel, an
environmentally-friendly alternative to fossil fuels, which Biffa will initially market to energy-intensive industries.
● The biodegradable organic waste that has been separated is broken down by bacteria in enclosed containers
through a process known as anaerobic digestion. This produces two main products:
Biogas - a methane-rich renewable form of natural gas, which could potentially be used as a fuel for vehicles,
or to produce enough energy to power the facility itself and the neighbouring brickworks. Some energy
will also be exported to the grid. In total, the process will produce enough energy to power
approximately 4,000 homes.
● Digestate - a fine organic material with the potential to be dried and used as a biomass fuel to provide hot water
and heating for homes in the County.
Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF)
● Biffa will initially market the RDF to industry.
● If a market cannot be found West Sussex County Council may require Biffa to construct an energy recovery plant,
probably at Brookhurst Wood.
● This would use advanced thermal recovery, such as gasification, rather than traditional mass burn incineration.
● This does not form part of the planning application.