Glass waste sent to Energy Resource Facility (FOI)

Request

Please confirm the impact on the energy from waste plant of glass being put in with general waste and for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, confirm:

A

The financial cost of cleaning melted glass on the grate and other areas of the plant.

B

The number of working hours spent dealing with issues caused by glass.

C

Please also explain in as much detail as possible how glass which gets into the plant is removed.

Response

A and B

There are many materials, such as stones, bricks, ball bearings, brake disks etc., along with glass, that should not be put into the Energy Resource Facility (ERF) as these all contribute to the wear and tear of the plant and grate. 

The ERF does not record the cost and time spent specifically cleaning melted glass from the plant, therefore, this information is not held, and Article 10 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

However, the following tables provides details of the time spent on the general cleaning of the ERF's boilers during the years requested.

Time spent cleaning ERF boilers 2019 to 2021

C

There is no calorific benefit for glass being present in the ERF and it will act as an abrasive substance all the way through the process causing wear and tear to various components. 

Some glass will melt in the incineration process and contribute to slag build up inside the furnace. This slag will need to be manually cleaned off periodically to ensure that the plant can continue to operate.

The majority of the glass which gets into the plant comes out in the bottom ash stream and this ash is sent to the UK for recovery into aggregates.

Article applied

Article 10  - Obligation of scheduled public authority to confirm or deny holding information

(1)        Subject to paragraph (2), if –

(a)        a person makes a request for information to a scheduled public authority; and

(b)        the authority does not hold the information, it must inform the applicant accordingly.