The man in charge of Dundee’s incinerator has said he is “delighted” it is back in action after a long shutdown.
A fire in the fuel store in May 2012 caused serious damage and the Dundee Energy Recycling Ltd plant at Baldovie has only just returned to full operation after repairs and improvements.
Managing director Alan Jones said: “We are delighted that the reconstruction and upgrade projects are now complete and that we can get back to our main job of processing the city’s waste.
“I am grateful to our main contractors, Metso, and to both our project managers for their hard work and support in restoring and indeed improving the plant.
“I also thank our staff for their diligence and patience, as well as Dundee City Council for their continuing support, during a very challenging time.”
The waste-to-energy plant burns thousands of tonnes of the city’s rubbish to produce electricity. A new, energy-efficient fuel feed system has been installed as part of the rebuild.
Designed to deliver the correct quantity of refuse-derived fuel to both boilers, it avoided having to replace the fuel return conveyor destroyed by the fire, and is expected to improve fire safety and reduce the risk of odour escaping.
Following a recent inspection of the cooling tower by the Health and Safety Executive, DERL is tightening precautions against legionella, which potentially affects all cooling towers.
A company spokesman stressed that the HSE’s visit was a routine one and was not prompted by any suspicion of legionella bacteria being present.
The £7.5 million improvement project, aimed at improving plant availability, involved upgrading the boilers with over 15 km of super-tough pipework to cut the risk of steam leaks.
Also included in the upgrade were a new tipping hall floor and updated computer control systems, as well as more sophisticated fire detection and suppression equipment to enhance existing systems.
Staffing has been restored to the level before the fire of 45.
The plant was built in 2000 to replace another incinerator. At the time DERL and the city council entered into a 20-year contract to dispose of the city’s waste. In 2004 the company was financially restructured and the council took over ownership of the plant, leasing it back to DERL.
The council’s investment in the upgrades will be paid back over the course of an additional five-year lease.