Covanta Energy Poll Reveals Investor Confidence Is Crucial To Delivering Waste Infrastructure

Results from a Covanta webinar poll held in April 2012 suggest that investor confidence is the most significant barrier to the successful delivery of future waste infrastructure.

The webinar, held by David Massingham, Covanta Energy's Director of Public Affairs, considered the government's current Waste and Energy Strategies and their implications for investment.

David said: "Government energy policy has already identified Energy-from-Waste (EfW) as one of a handful of technologies that are critical to delivering energy security and low carbon objectives. Covanta believes that if we are to deliver the full potential of EfW, we are going to need to exploit resources beyond the municipal sector, especially the energy value of residual Commercial & Industrial (C&I) waste."

During the live webinar, more than 40% of respondents to an online poll indicated that investor confidence is currently the biggest barrier to providing waste infrastructure solutions, while almost 25% felt that a delay in key policy tied to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) would be detrimental.

David continued: "Results from polls during the webinar reveal that investor confidence is seen as by far the most significant barrier to delivering necessary improvements in waste infrastructure. However, many participants, from a broad variety of industry sectors, agreed that the government's forthcoming EfW guidance should provide a clear indication on the preferred circumstances for new EfW infrastructure.

"It was also encouraging that a significant proportion also felt that the guidance should stress that EfW is a complementary, rather than a conflicting, recovery option to help dispel the myth that it 'crowds out' recycling."

The first section of the webinar addressed the current situation and considered waste arisings and treatment capacity in the light of both waste and energy legislation and the economic and planning climate. It then considered how waste and related strategies could and should change and the impacts that this will have on the deliverability of waste infrastructure.

Covanta is the largest Energy-from-Waste provider in the world, operating 46 plants worldwide. The company has more than 25 years' experience and treats over 18 million tonnes of residual waste annually from which it derives more than 9 million megawatt hours of sustainable energy.

Covanta is making a substantial investment into the UK and Irish Energy-from-Waste markets, potentially delivering more than 2 million tonnes of EfW capacity over the next few years. Through this programme Covanta will be investing in communities, through job creation and community partnerships.