The 26 MW, £205 million facility is already helping Oxfordshire County Council and other local authorities and businesses transform around 300,000 tonnes of waste into renewable energy to power British homes and businesses every year.
Viridor CEO and Pennon Group Director, Ian McAulay, his predecessor Colin Drummond, OBE, The Vice-Lord Lieutenant, John Harwood and Cllr John Sanders, Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council also attended the opening of the facility which is using cutting-edge technology to produce enough electrical energy from waste to power 38,000 homes, equivalent to more than two-thirds of Oxford.
The facility also has a new ERF Education and Visitor Centre designed to engage with students and teachers from nearby schools in order to develop their knowledge and appreciation of the essential processes undertaken by the recycling and resource management industry.
“The Duke showed great interest in the development of this site and it’s great to see Viridor’s latest energy recovery facility at Ardley already providing a first-class service to our local authority and business customers” said Ian McAulay, Viridor Chief Executive. “By working in long-term partnership with our clients, we’re transforming what some see as ‘waste’ into vital renewable energy for the UK. Our ERFs ensure that we extract every ounce of value from what people throw away, complementing the vital recycling services provided by councils and their contractors. I thank everyone for their hard work in delivering this world-class project.”
Councillor John Sanders, Chairman of Oxfordshire County Council, added that Oxfordshire has the best recycling and composting rate of any county council in the country – last year delivering a rate of over 61 percent. The ERF will treat almost all the waste left after recycling and composting, directing such waste away from landfill and generating valuable electricity.
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