UK-based manufacturer Addfield Environmental Systems are beginning to gather a team in preparation for the construction of a clinical waste-to-energy facility in Kuwait.

Construction of the project will begin in February 2020 at the firm’s headquarters in Staffordshire, UK, and will be completed on-site in Kuwait later this year.

The facility, which is developed exclusively for the safe destruction of clinical waste, will be able to process up to 1,000kg of material per hour through its fully automated stepped-hearth incinerator, the firm confirmed in a statement.

The waste-to-energy facility will have an operational life of more than 20 years, and will be entirely operated and maintained within Kuwait, with Addfield planning to deliver a comprehensive operation and maintenance training programme for local engineers during the final installation and commissioning stage.

Commenting on the project, Addfield’s business development director, James Grant, said: “This just the first of many projects we are looking at in this region and we are very proud of the quality of work of our team. Globally clinical waste is becoming recognised for the potential impact that it can cause the environment. We are incredibly proud to be such a significant part in the safe disposal of such waste in an environmentally secure and sustainable manner.”

https://www.constructionweekonline.com/projects-and-tenders/262907-uks-addfield-to-construct-waste-to-energy-facility-in-kuwait 

https://businessgateways.com/news/2020/02/17/UK-group-wins-Kuwait-waste-to-energy-plant-deal

It’s a great pity that the Environment Agency remains doggedly resistant to waste-to-energy conversion for clinical wastes. An obvious environmental advantage whether in a dedicated facility or in combination with commercial and domestic refuse, this is a logical and financially viable alternative that must tick all the boxes. Save for the shortsighted and bullheaded approach of the Environment Agency, this really should be happening already, in the UK as elsewhere, though there is no need to go too far across the North Sea to see this in action. 😉

PS – and to consider the difficult relationship between the Environment Agency and similar regulatory agencies and the realities of science, try reading Quo vadis? Science and Regulation as Uneasy Bedfellows. For certain, the two sit uneasily and regrettably, it seems that regulatory dogma continues to maintain the upper hand.