MVV Environment is part of the MVV Energie group of companies. We provide a sustainable alternative to landfill through energy recovery for publicly and privately-owned waste disposal companies.

The UK business retains the overall group ethos of 'belonging' to the communities we serve, whilst benefitting from over 50 years' experience gained by our German sister companies. We provide solutions for waste reduction, energy generation and recycling.

In the UK, MVV currently consists of 6 separate companies:

1. MVV Environment Baldovie
   Diverting 220,000 tonnes per annum of residual waste from landfill for Dundee City and Angus councils.
2. MVV Environment Services
   The UK electricity and waste trading subsidiary of MVV.
3. MVV Environment
   The UK development company and core business support functions.
4. MVV Environment Ridham
   Generating energy from 195,000 tonnes per annum of waste wood that would otherwise be landfilled or exported for energy generation abroad.
5. MVV Environment Devonport
   Diverting 200,000 tonnes per annum of residual waste from landfill for the South West Devon Waste Partnership as well as 65,000 tonnes per annum of residual waste for private waste disposal companies.
6. Medworth CHP Ltd
   A subsidiary of MVV Environment, established to deliver the Medworth project. It is this company that will submit the application to the Secretary of State for a Development Consent Order.

EfW is a way to recover valuable resources and a vital part of a sustainable waste management chain. This diagram takes you step-by-step through the EfW process.

We aim to produce 53 Megawatts of electricity; enough to power 74,000 homes. We also aim to produce 30 Megawatts of usable steam (heat) energy. EfW only accounts for 0.05% of total particulate emissions in the UK annually.* Bottom ash may be used as an aggregate, replacing the need to quarry for virgin aggregate, for example, in road construction.

*Environment Agency and National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory

1. Tipping hall
   Waste is delivered to the facility in lorries. They enter the enclosed tipping hall and reverse up to the bunker edge. Air is sucked through the tipping hall and bunker and into the furnace so that odours do not escape.
2. Waste bunker
   The waste is stored in the bunker waiting to be loaded into the furnace by crane. Around 10 days worth of waste can be stored here. Air is sucked through the tipping hall and bunker and used in the furnace so that odours do not escape.
3. Furnace
   The waste is burnt under very carefully controlled conditions to ensure safe and complete combustion and maximise the amount of heat recovered as useful energy. The walls of the furnace are made up of pipes within which water is heated and turned into steam in the boiler drum.
4. Bottom ash
   Those bits of the waste that don’t burn, e.g. metals and bricks, are part of the ash that falls off the furnace grate. This falls into water to cool it and is then put into a separate bunker before being taken away for recycling.
5. Boiler The very hot gases from the furnace are passed through the boiler. The steam from the boiler drum goes through tubes in the boiler to superheat it, ready to be sent to the turbine.
6. Air Pollution Control System
   Having given up most of their energy to create useful heat in the form of steam, the flue gases have to be cleaned before they enter the chimney. The flue gases are injected with activated carbon and lime which react with pollutants such as acidic gases. The filters at the end of the system ensure that the residues, together with dust from the furnace, are captured so that the flue gas entering the chimney is well within the limits set by law. The system is controlled “real time”.
7. Chimney
   The chimney height will be calculated to ensure that the limited emissions allowed under law are dispersed safely.
8. Turbine hall
   Superheated steam from the boiler is sent to the turbine where it is used to drive an alternator, generating useful electrical energy. Steam can also be taken from the turbine at pressures and temperatures suitable for use by local industry. This reduces their dependency on fossil fuels and improves the overall efficiency of the facility.
9. Air Cooled Condenser
   The condenser takes the exhaust steam from the turbine. Very quiet fans send cool air up through the condenser tubes. Warm water goes back to the boiler, where it is used to make steam again.
10. Energy distribution
    The energy in the waste has finally been turned into useful electricity and steam for use by local industry. Any excess electricity is sent to the grid locally, displacing fossil fuels. Steam will be sent to local industry through an over ground pipeline.

The proposed site is in the Medworth ward of Fenland District Council. The facility fits into the industrial setting, on a site that is currently used as a waste transfer station. This industrial area in Wisbech offers opportunities to achieve high efficiencies with Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

what might it look like?

Since our non-statutory consultation last year, we have been working with architects to develop the external design of the main building.

We have listened to feedback and considered how the EfW CHP facility will fit into the existing landscape.

The EfW CHP Facility

A selection of shapes and designs have been considered for the main building:

associated infrastructure

The EfW CHP Facility has been designed to deliver usable steam (heat) to other businesses on the industrial estate, helping them to reduce reliance on fossil fuels in line with Government targets.

There will be two pipes, one to export steam from the Facility and one to return condensate (water) to the Facility. These pipes will run along the disused March to Wisbech railway line but will not prevent it from re-opening in the future.

access improvements

We are proposing to improve New Bridge Lane to enable lorries to access the Facility from New Bridge Lane during operations.

Currently, access is via the northern end of the industrial estate and along Algores Way, with the southern end of the industrial estate inaccessible from the south.

Initial discussions focused on Walpole sub-station...

Initial discussions and meetings with UK Power Networks, in August 2019, determined that a connection to the sub-station at Walsoken would not be possible. Design and survey work therefore focused on the longer connection to Walpole sub-station, as reported in the Medworth Grid Corridor Options Report September 2020; this was presented at our non-statutory consultation in autumn last year.

Further analysis showed Walsoken could be an option...

Further analysis by UK Power Networks showed that a point of connection could be made at Walsoken so we have also looked at this much shorter route in more detail. Three possible routes from the facility to the sub-station at Walsoken were considered, based on three factors:

• Environmental
• Technical
• Land use

From our non-statutory consultation, it is clear that air quality and climate change are of high importance to local people – as they are globally.

We have installed a continuous air quality monitoring station at Thomas Clarkson Academy to establish baseline air quality.

We have considered two aspects relating to climate change:

1. The effect our facility might have in terms of reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions.
2. The impact that climate change might have on our facility in the future.

Assessment

These have been assessed for the construction, operation and decommissioning phases of the development, as well as in relation to how they might affect the ability of the UK Government to meet its carbon reduction targets.

Please ask a member of the team if you would like to see all of the figures associated with this topic.

Please ask a member of the team if you would like to see all of the figures associated with this topic.

We are committed to delivering our services in a professional way that exceeds the needs and expectations of our customers, local communities and other stakeholders in a sustainable manner.

This is enshrined in our Safety, Quality, Wellbeing, Energy, Environment, Community and Health (SQWEECH) policy, which sets out our high-level culture and values.

We aim to engage with local communities in the vicinity of our facilities on a number of levels relevant to the context of each development.

This commitment will involve some or all of the following measures:

A Construction Traffic Management Plan will be developed and implemented to minimise the impact of construction materials and workforce travelling to and from the construction site.

This document will be available:

• in draft at the Document Inspection Locations
• online: mvv-medworthchp.co.uk
• at our consultation events

Waste will be delivered in a range of vehicles, including dustcarts (RCVs) and articulated HGVs.

As we develop our proposals, we have taken into account the need to ensure that future environmental requirements can be delivered.

These might include:

• Carbon Capture and Storage
• Biodiversity net gain
• Other developments in the vicinity of our project, such as industrial/housing development, improvements to the road networks and the reopening of the disused March to Wisbech railway line

At our facilities in Devonport, Plymouth, and Baldovie, Dundee, we have established liaison committees to facilitate clear and transparent communication.

As well as inviting local residents to join, we also encourage engagement from local council(s), the Environment Agency and other relevant bodies; this ensures that the relevant expertise is available for meaningful discussion.

get involved

Please use the ‘General comments’ box on the feedback form to tell us what topics you would like to discuss, where you would prefer to meet and how often.

We will use this consultation period to gather responses and feedback from as many people as possible; once we have reviewed the feedback, we will be in touch with everyone who has expressed an interest in joining the liaison committee.

how to join?

Once formed, the Committee will meet on a regular basis to discuss issues arising, forthcoming events on site and any community benefits.

If you are interested in joining, please feel free to speak to our staff at an exhibition. Alternatively, you can contact us by phone, email or via our website.

Please use the ‘sign up’ button on our website to express an interest in joining the committee.

How can the design of the building help it to blend in with the surrounding landscape?

We are working with architects to develop possible design and colour schemes for the building and chimney. Our planning and environmental consultants have produced a series of photomontages, which are wide-angle photographs taken from various locations in and around Wisbech. These will have the EfW facility superimposed on them to demonstrate how it will look.

Additional viewpoints can be found within the consultation documents.

In addition to the design of the building itself, landscaping and planting will be planned to minimise visual impacts. Plant species will be carefully selected to maximise screening of the facility and as habitat potential for wildlife.

Will this development stop the railway in Wisbech from being re-opened?

No! We fully support the re-opening of the railway and are working with Network Rail and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to ensure that both developments can take place alongside each other.

Re-opening of the railway offers the opportunity to receive waste by rail, providing waste collection companies have access to the necessary rail infrastructure. An added benefit would be reduced road traffic if this could be realised.

What employment opportunities will there be for local people?

At our other operational facilities, we have successfully worked with local education providers, community groups and work clubs to ensure the best possible opportunities for local people to access full-time jobs.

Specific suggestions were made through feedback provided at our non-statutory consultation held last year and we welcome any further suggestions.

Up to 40 full time jobs would be created as a result of the Proposed Development. These would include direct employment opportunities at the EfW CHP Facility in a mixture of skilled and unskilled roles. Direct employment opportunities include a shift team of 18 skilled operators. These teams are overseen by an Operations Manager who reports directly to the Facility Manager.

Also reporting to the Facility Manager will be a QHSE Manager, electrical engineer and two mechanical engineers. On the waste acceptance side, there will be six Waste Acceptance Operatives and a Waste Acceptance Supervisor, reporting to the Waste/Contract Manager.

In terms of business support, there will be an Administration Manager, Finance Assistant, Account Manager, IT Support Technician, HR Manager and Commercial Support Manager.

We will use local suppliers where possible and these would include services such as:

• Cleaning and catering services
• Electrical and mechanical engineering
• Scaffolding and maintenance-related services

MVV recognises the importance of local people and knowledge to any new project. We want to develop a two-way dialogue with as many stakeholders as possible and to understand the issues that are important to you.

If you have any further thoughts on the project which we should consider as we develop our proposal, please let us know.

Our preferred method for collecting your comments is via our dedicated project website.
www.mvv-medworthchp.co.uk/get-in-touch

You can also contact us via email:
medworth@mvvuk.co.uk

Or telephone the team:
01945 232 231

Or send us post using the freepost address:
"Freepost MVV"