Brownfield Trailblazer Site First to Produce Green Biofuels
Today, WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme) announced the first two trailblazer sites to use high quality compost to regenerate brownfield land for biofuel production.
The former landfill sites, at Lumley North and Coxhoe East, will use up to 1,000 tonnes of BSI PAS 100:2005 compost per hectare to improve the poor quality topsoil, which will then be planted with short rotation coppice willow.
The fast growing willow will then be harvested and used in biofuel production - a sustainable fuel resource that will provide energy for the local area. Assessment of the establishment and yield from the willow grown in compost will be compared to the same crop under conventional agricultural conditions grown in the same area, to determine whether low-value sites, such as former landfills, can generate cost effective biofuels using organic materials.
The Lumley North and Coxhoe East sites, which extend to 60 hectares, form part of Premier Waste Management Ltd's portfolio of operational and closed landfill sites and are managed by Land Remediation Services Ltd.
The trailblazer programme is designed to help developers, designers and contractors realise the financial and environmental benefits of specifying high quality compost in brownfield projects.
Dr Eric Evans, of Land Remediation Services, said:
"We specified green waste compost for the project as it is the best form of organic matter to restore the poor quality soils with respect to improving water retention and nutrient levels. This makes it suitable for planting short rotation coppice willow for biofuel production."
The compost was sourced from Premier Waste Management's Joint Stocks Recycling Centre in Coxhoe and is made from recycled municipal garden waste. The project started in November 2006 and is due to complete in March 2008. The coppice willow produced will be contracted to Renewable Energy from Agriculture (REFA) for local energy production. When mature, the crops will yield in the region of 20 tonnes per ha per year on a three year cutting cycle.
Pilot projects at other sites conducted in conjunction with WRAP, which look at the benefits of using PAS 100 compost in-situ as a soil improver, have shown significant improvement in both cost efficiencies and the quality of the resulting topsoil. In some cases, costs have been reduced by over 50 per cent*.
Richard Swannell, Director of the Organics Programme at WRAP, said: "Previous trials have shown that using locally sourced quality PAS 100 compost as a soil improver, not only saves transportation and landfill costs, but also produces good quality, fertile soil making it suitable for a wide range of uses. These two trailblazer sites are the first to use quality compost in restoring the land for biofuel production."
The BSI PAS 100:2005 certification means that the compost, which is produced from source segregated garden waste such as grass cuttings, prunings and leaves, has been manufactured to a consistent high quality level and is also safe, reliable and sustainable.
For more information on how BSI PAS 100:2005 compost can help reduce the cost of brownfield regeneration projects, contact Paul Mathers at WRAP on 01295 817899.
The former landfill sites, at Lumley North and Coxhoe East, will use up to 1,000 tonnes of BSI PAS 100:2005 compost per hectare to improve the poor quality topsoil, which will then be planted with short rotation coppice willow.
The fast growing willow will then be harvested and used in biofuel production - a sustainable fuel resource that will provide energy for the local area. Assessment of the establishment and yield from the willow grown in compost will be compared to the same crop under conventional agricultural conditions grown in the same area, to determine whether low-value sites, such as former landfills, can generate cost effective biofuels using organic materials.
The Lumley North and Coxhoe East sites, which extend to 60 hectares, form part of Premier Waste Management Ltd's portfolio of operational and closed landfill sites and are managed by Land Remediation Services Ltd.
The trailblazer programme is designed to help developers, designers and contractors realise the financial and environmental benefits of specifying high quality compost in brownfield projects.
Dr Eric Evans, of Land Remediation Services, said:
"We specified green waste compost for the project as it is the best form of organic matter to restore the poor quality soils with respect to improving water retention and nutrient levels. This makes it suitable for planting short rotation coppice willow for biofuel production."
The compost was sourced from Premier Waste Management's Joint Stocks Recycling Centre in Coxhoe and is made from recycled municipal garden waste. The project started in November 2006 and is due to complete in March 2008. The coppice willow produced will be contracted to Renewable Energy from Agriculture (REFA) for local energy production. When mature, the crops will yield in the region of 20 tonnes per ha per year on a three year cutting cycle.
Pilot projects at other sites conducted in conjunction with WRAP, which look at the benefits of using PAS 100 compost in-situ as a soil improver, have shown significant improvement in both cost efficiencies and the quality of the resulting topsoil. In some cases, costs have been reduced by over 50 per cent*.
Richard Swannell, Director of the Organics Programme at WRAP, said: "Previous trials have shown that using locally sourced quality PAS 100 compost as a soil improver, not only saves transportation and landfill costs, but also produces good quality, fertile soil making it suitable for a wide range of uses. These two trailblazer sites are the first to use quality compost in restoring the land for biofuel production."
The BSI PAS 100:2005 certification means that the compost, which is produced from source segregated garden waste such as grass cuttings, prunings and leaves, has been manufactured to a consistent high quality level and is also safe, reliable and sustainable.
For more information on how BSI PAS 100:2005 compost can help reduce the cost of brownfield regeneration projects, contact Paul Mathers at WRAP on 01295 817899.
WRAP
Tel: 01295 819928