10:06am Wednesday 18th August 2010
FOLLOWING an article on the Northwich Guardian website on the new Regenerate Northwich partnership, I was disappointed to see that the debate within the comments section did not focus on the aims of the new partnership in securing the future of the town.
Instead, a small number of people took the opportunity to shift the focus to Brunner Mond’s plans for a sustainable energy plant at Lostock.
Brunner Mond was invited as one of the town’s biggest (as well as oldest) employers to join the Regenerate Northwich project as we have a long history of working within the local community to support key projects.
We are delighted to be part of this group and will work to ensure that every opportunity is seized to help Northwich become a vibrant location.
It was particularly disappointing to see how the comments section on the website was used as an opportunity to detract from the efforts of the partnership and once again portray as fact inaccurate details about our proposals. I feel it is important that those inaccuracies are corrected.
The proposed new plant is not designed as a commercial waste disposal facility. It is needed to secure the future viability of the company and nobody is in a better position to do the mathematics on this than us.
Energy is our biggest cost and the long-term use of gas is not sustainable, being liable to price fluctuations. It also emits carbon dioxide, which as a business we are required to reduce as part of the national carbon reduction targets.
Increasing energy costs were a major factor in the closure last year of our production facilities in the Netherlands.
So, despite the existence of our gas-fired power plant at Winnington, this does not provide an economically viable or environmentally sustainable option for the future.
The new sustainable energy plant will operate alongside the existing power plant and will save thousands of tonnes of CO2 when compared with our operations today.
The new power plant will secure the plant’s future, together with our 500 direct employees and about another 4,500, indirect employees in the Cheshire area, in the diverse range of industries we supply, ranging from glass manufacture to medicine and from solar panels to insulation.
Those opposed to the scheme often quote the figure of 524 daily HGV vehicle movements. This is incorrect.
The calculations can be found in the traffic assessment section of the application documents which are available under application documents on the website http://sustainableenergy.brunnermond.com.
These figures have been compiled by an international consultancy expert in this field and show the likely average number of new HGV movements equates to 122 per day – 61 HGVs arrive to site and the same number leave. In addition, two trains a day would bring fuel to the site.
This does not equate to the claim made by Liam Byrne about an HGV being visible every minute, which is an exaggeration not based on fact.
Within the application, we have also presented a worst case scenario. The same calculation has been made with the assumption that all the fuel is delivered by road and no fuel is delivered by rail.
This calculation shows 105 HGV fuel deliveries per day (210 two-way movements); 21 bottom ash HGV vehicles from site (42 two-way movements) and five HGVs for other journeys (10 two-way movements).
The total is therefore 262 vehicle movements per day and not the 524 quoted.
The sustainable energy plant will not use any raw waste – either human or animal. It will use as fuel, waste that has been pre-treated so all recyclable material has been removed.
Just as our involvement with Regenerate Northwich is about the town’s future, so is our proposal for a new power source, in order to ensure we continue our manufacturing heritage in Northwich that goes back to the late 19th century.
NEAL CHAMBERLAIN HR and Corporate Affairs Director Brunner Mond
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