Incinerator roof set to be repaired next summer after weather damage
The Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre has been damaged three times
The roof of the Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre is finally set to be repaired after being damaged three times.
A report detailing the repairs to the incinerator in St Dennis is set to go before Cornwall councillors this week.
Since it opened in 2017 the roof of the CERC has been damaged three times, most recently in February 2020.
On that occasion two areas of the roof were damaged and the top sheet of the roof came loose and insulation was blown free.
CERC operator Suez, in a report to Cornwall Council, says that despite this damage the inner liner of the roof was not damaged and so the plant is still covered.
Suez says in the report that despite the damage and repairs which have been undertaken to date the plant has continued to operate and says that no waste has been diverted to landfill as a result.
The company says that it has been investigating the problems with the roof and was due to start temporary repairs at the end of October so that the roof is weather proof for the winter.
In the 15-page report Suez states that the first roof damage occurred in February 2017 during the final stages of construction.
Repairs were undertaken but in December 2017 there was more damaged caused by high winds which led to damage to the roof of the Energy from Waste (EfW) plant building.
As a result of this repairs were carried out on the roof in 2018 but then the roof was damaged again earlier this year.
In February high winds again caused damage to the roof in two areas with sections coming loose.
As a result of this the plant was disconnected from the National Grid as a precautionary measure. It was reconnected after the site around the substation was cleared of debris.
The report states: “Throughout this period the EfW plant continued to operate as normal. The site continued to accept waste deliveries throughout and hence no waste was diverted to landfill during this period.”
Following that incident experts came in to investigate the damaged roof in detail both in February and again in June.
Suez says that the global pandemic and travel restrictions meant that the investigation process took longer than expected.
The company says that the investigations are still ongoing and adds: “Furthermore, due to the contractual implications of these investigations on the various parties, and the potential for legal dispute, it is not possible to include within this report specific details of the ongoing investigations and the conclusions.”
Repairs to the roof are planned for summer 2021 which will ensure that a design review and “potential redesign” are complete.
Suez said that it had continued to be able to provide services to Cornwall Council under the waste contract.
It adds that waste continued to be accepted at the CERC and “no contract waste has been diverted to landfill”.
The report states: ”This is anticipated to continue to be the case throughout the temporary and permanent roof repair works.
“The cost of conducting the repairs will be fully borne by CERL and its construction and operation subcontractors and not Cornwall Council.”
The report will be considered by Cornwall Council’s neighbourhoods overview and scrutiny committee when it meets on Thursday (November 26th).