Viridor Cardiff Newsletter 1

Summer 2017

Latest news from Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility

The Viridor team from the Trident Park ERF who performed with Doctor Who’s nemesis, the Daleks, in front of the Millennium Centre for BBC One’s Let’s Sing & Dance for Comic Relief.

Welcome to our fourth community newsletter.The Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cardiff has been operating for two years and remains the only operational energy recovery facility in Wales. The plant is currently diverting 350,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and generating 30MW of low carbon/renewable energy which is exported for use in the National Grid. This is enough to power around 50,000 households.

Due to the plant being more efficient in operations and the fuel (residual or ‘black bag’ waste) having a lower energy content than originally assumed, the ERF has the capability of processing more material and recovering more energy than was allowed by the original planning permission. As a result, the plant will continue to process waste on a 24hr basis with any additional waste deliveries being delivered within normal opening times.

A planning application was submitted to Cardiff Council to vary a condition attached to the existing planning permission to increase the maximum limit of waste that can be processed by the facility from 350,000 tonnes per annum to 425,000 tonnes per annum.

A separate application has also been submitted to modify the legal agreement (S106 modification) which accompanies the existing planning permission to remove the catchment area restriction that currently limits inputs into the facility to waste from South-East Wales. Both applications have now been approved by Cardiff Council.

The changes will ensure that more Welsh local authorities and/or businesses benefit from the sustainable waste solution provided by Trident Park ERF. They also support and assist Wales in meeting its desire to become more self-sufficient in terms of its waste management provision and to generate more power from low carbon/renewable sources.

Have you ever wondered what happens to non-recyclable waste in South East Wales? Viridor, in association with Prosiect Gwyrdd, is hosting two open evenings at its Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cardiff.

Trident Park ERF Education Centre and Community Benefits Manager Mark Poole said: “This is a state-of-the-art facility which diverts residual waste produced by homes in the area away from landfill as part of a process which generate energy.

“If you want to hear more about the Viridor and Prosiect Gwyrdd recycling and renewable energy message or if you are just curious about the process or how the plant works, this is your opportunity to find out more.”

Visitors to the open day will be given a brief presentation about the plant, get to see inside the central operational control room and after a full safety briefing, have a guided tour throughout the plant to see what currently happens to household waste after it has been put in the bin. They will also learn about the technology and processes involved in recovering energy from the things we use and throw away every day.

The open day is free of charge but there is limited spaces and bookings will made on a first come first serve basis. There are two scheduled tours starting at 6pm on Monday 21st August and Tuesday 22nd August; anyone interested in booking onto the open day should email: Cardiff@viridor.co.uk

Viridor Cardiff NewsletterViridor Cardiff Newsletter 32

Members of Multi-Sport Social Health and Well-Being enjoying the equipment bought with the £306 the group received from the Viridor Community Fund.

Viridor and Prosiect Gwyrdd Community Fund - £50,000 available for local projects each yearA donation of £50,000 is being made each year by Viridor to the Viridor & Prosiect Gwyrdd Community Fund.

Viridor has committed these funds for the length of the Prosiect Gwyrdd contract (25 years) to community initiatives which operate in each local authority area which make up Prosiect Gwyrdd Partnership, which are Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cardiff Council, Monmouthshire County Council, Newport City Council and Vale of Glamorgan Council.

Funding for projects is awarded on a set of criteria based around sustainability, local need, community involvement, value for money and education.

A panel meets quarterly to review eligible applications to the fund and makes the final decision on how money from the fund is distributed and will be distributed in the future.

This year the panel has awarded funds to: Llanrumney Phoenix ABC (£2,920), Multisport Social Health & Wellbeing (£306), Horn Development Association (£3,000), The Dusty Shed (£3,000), Hedgehog Helpline (£3,000), The Makers Guild in Wales (£3,000), Newport Family Centre (£1,700), St Peter’s Community Garden (£3,000) and Rumney Forum (£2,689.86). A total of £22,615.86 was awarded in March this year.

If you have a community project which could benefit from funding it is easy to apply, as application forms are available at: www.viridor.co.uk/cardiff or you can email CardiffERFCommunityFund@viridor.co.uk. Alternatively applications can be made by post to the following address: Cardiff ERF Community Fund Viridor Administrator, Trident Park ERF, Glass Avenue, Cardiff, CF24 5EN

Welsh Minister Vaughan Gething joins children on visit to £223 million Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility in CardiffWelsh Minister for Health, Well-Being and Sport Vaughan Gething has enjoyed a “fascinating” tour of Viridor’s £223 million Trident Park Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cardiff.

Mr Gething, a Constituency Assembly Member, joined pupils from a school in his constituency, Moorland Primary, on Thursday (30 March) on a visit to the site and the ERF education centre.

He said: “I enjoyed a fascinating tour around the Trident Park facility, learning a great deal about the processes which take place there.

“It was fantastic to join pupils from Moorland Primary School on their tour and I am extremely pleased to see local children engaging with the facility.”

Mr Gething added that the message of “recycling” was prominent throughout the visit “which was very impressive”.

He said: “I am looking forward to seeing local communities gain tangible benefits from Viridor’s Trident Park facility, both now and in the future.”

Viridor has a community fund which is supporting the activities of local community associations and projects.

Mark Poole, Trident Park’s Education and Community Benefits Manager, said the Cardiff team was delighted to welcome Mr Gething to Trident Park where he was able to join local children who had the opportunity to learn more about the importance of recycling and the energy from waste process.

This forms an important part of the Welsh Government’s ambitious zero waste strategy which quite rightly focuses on waste reduction, reuse, enhanced recycling and recovering energy from what remains in order to ensure more non-recyclable waste is diverted from landfill.

If your school or community group would like to visit the facility, please contact Education and Community Benefits Manager Mark Poole on 02920 501877 between 9am and 5pm or email Cardiff@viridor.co.uk

Viridor’s Trident Park ERF and Cardiff City Council’s Sustainable Development team joined forces to present a workshop at One Planet Festival. The festival, sponsored by Viridor, focused on Year 5 primary schools children from across the city.

The day included workshops delivered by people/organisations working in sectors including recycling, energy, food, carbon and water.

Viridor’s workshop in conjunction with Cardiff Council looked at “Waste and Energy” and the three Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - and the impact they have on the local environment. The fun and interactive workshop taught the children all about the waste hierarchy, while bringing in information about the “recycling road” where they explored what happens to the items once in the green recycling bag.

The workshop also explored Energy Recovery Facility in Cardiff, where children learned about the alternative ways to deal with residual waste, or post-recycling waste, and how this was used to generate vital renewable energy.

Multi-Sport is on course to achieve a hole-in-oneOne of the organisations that has benefited from the Viridor Community Fund is Multi-Sport Social Health and Well-Being.

The group, which received £306 to buy new equipment, was set up in 2016 to run sporting activities for vulnerable adults with learning disabilities and additional needs.

The activities provided by Multi-Sport included Easyline Gym, Archery, Golf and Boccia and are run over three days a week.

They enable the participants to develop social interaction skills as part of a team within the community while improving confidence and well-being. This helps all participants to become involved in to the wider society and prevents them from being isolated and being lonely.

The activities also have members improving their fitness and reducing health problems.

Multi-Sport came to the Community Fund to further develop the golf activity through better equipment with the aim for individuals to be able to develop more independence and develop the skills to move from the driving range to the golf course.

Sian Doherty, from Multi-Sport, said: “The funding you provide has enabled us to purchase golf gloves, a bag and a set of clubs for the group.

“As you see by the pictures we had a lovely day when the group used the new equipment on the academy course at Parc Golf Club for the first time.

“The intention is to slowly build up the confidence and skills for each individual within the group. By doing so we the hope that in the future some of the individuals will be able to play on larger courses to enable them to integrate with the wider community.

“The funding from Viridor has enabled us to improve the equipment we have available which is another significant step for the group providing them with greater freedom to use more facilities and increase their abilities. “

Two apprentices nominated for awards at Viridor’s Trident ParkTwo outstanding Viridor apprentices working at Cardiff’s Trident Park have received certificates after being nominated by their tutor Steve Siviter of Coleg Gwent.

Harry Edwards, 19, and Thomas Barrett, 20, impressed Viridor’s Control and Instrumentation Engineer (C& I) mentor Nick Harding. Harry was nominated for an NVQ Engineering Apprentice Award and Thomas for an NVQ Foundation Apprentice Award.

Nick said: “Since joining Viridor both Thomas and Harry have settled in well becoming a valued part of the engineering team at Trident Park.

Harry said: “I was happy to be nominated and get a certificate because it shows my hard work has been being recognised.

“I have been enjoying my time at Viridor and am constantly learning from the engineering and operations team. I am hoping to work as a fully qualified C & I Technician in the future.”

Thomas agreed with Harry and said: “I feel grateful and very excited about my nomination and certificate. Being given the opportunity to work as an apprentice for Viridor is a dream come true.

“It has allowed me to pursue my career goals and qualify in C & I. I really enjoy the practical and theoretical aspects and I am constantly learning new things.”

When he is not at Trident Park or college Thomas enjoys gaming, golf, football and fixing things.

Viridor Cardiff Newsletter4

Meet our Education Centre and Community Benefits ManagerMark Poole grew up in a small seaside resort along the Pembrokeshire coast. Here, he tells us more about himself and his important role with Viridor at the Trident Park ERF.

Viridor was pleased to welcome the Cardiff Institute for the Blind to record a segment on the Trident Park ERF this week. Education Centre and Community Benefits Manager Mark Poole gave retired TV producer John Mead and sound recordist Ken Geen (previously of BBC Wales) a guided tour of the plant. The segment will form part of the institute’s 79-minute magazine programme which goes out on CD to 600 people in South Wales every month. The Trident Park ERF segment is expected to go out in August.

Following my GCSEs I was fortunate to gain an apprenticeship with the National Trust as a trainee countryside warden.

I then studied Sports Studies and Geography at Trinity College, Carmarthen, where I obtained a BA 2:1 Hons degree. Following a period of football coaching in the USA I proceeded to attend the University of Wales Institute Cardiff where I completed my PGCE in Secondary Physical Education.

My first teaching post was with St Teilo’s Church in Wales High School and, after six years, I left to take over as Head of Physical Education at St Illtyds High School.

In January 2016 I opted to pursue my interest in the waste management industry. I was then the Site Supervisor at Five Lanes and Usk HWRC and Transfer Station when I saw the vacancy for the Education Manager and I moved into this role in December 2016.

Showing people of all ages how waste is treated in South East Wales and working with the local community is just a dream role because it combines my passion for education, waste management and community work.

Outside work, I like to spend time with my family and take my two dogs out for

long walks. I still have a keen interest in sport and, growing up, football was my main sport where I played for Haverfordwest County and Carmarthen Town in the Welsh Premier League.

It was with the latter club that we qualified for the UEFA Cup.

Due to family commitments, I finished my career with Bridgend Street Football Club in Splott where I thoroughly enjoyed playing and had fond memories.

I now spend a lot of time playing the more social sport of golf, where I currently play off a handicap of 1.

Q: Why are you passionate about waste management?

A: Knowing how waste is managed from its inception to its final disposal is fascinating, especially with all the different avenues for different waste and the methods for treating these. I regularly volunteer with local litter picks and am passionate about making a difference not just to my local area but to the wider area as well.

Q: How does waste management in Wales impact your home/family life?

A: We take waste management seriously at home. We are a household of 4 with 2 young boys. We regularly put our residual

bin out once a month. We promote recycling in the house and use our local household waste recycling centres when required.

Q: What do you love about your job?

A: The company commitment to innovation, recycling and the circular economy. It’s important to me that we take the time to work with local communities and create long lasting relationships.

Q: What do visitors typically find surprising?

A: The size of the plant, the pipework inside, the engineering involved and that we are self-sufficient in terms of electricity. They also find the plumage coming out of the stacks is not smoke but rather cleaned gases and steam. People are surprised by how much recycling can be seen in the bunker and the number metals going through the facility.

Q: What do you ultimately want to achieve in this role?

A: I really want to raise the profile of the company in the area, educate everyone about to the great work which is going on at the site and that we are producing clean renewable energy and diverting waste from landfill.

Need to get in touch?You can contact the facility by phone on: 02920 501870or email the site directly: Cardiff@viridor.co.uk Office hours: Monday to Friday 8am – 5.30pm

Trident Park ERF, Glass Avenue Cardiff, CF24 5EN