Industrial

Mechanical Biological Treatment Facility

Waterbeach, Cambridge

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Client: Amey

Project: Replacement of two Compost Turning Machines (CTMs) and associated works at the Waterbeach Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) Facility.

Cost: £32M

RIBA Project Stages: 0 - 7

AmeyCespa’s Mechanical Biological Treatment facility (MBT) at its Waterbeach Waste Management Park, was suspended due to a catastrophic mechanical failure and subsequent fire.

Total Project Integration were appointed Project Managers, Construction  Managers and Quantity Surveyors on a £32M construction management contract for the replacement and the extension of the plant and all associated civil, mechanical and electrical works together with the rectification of a fire damage.

The opportunity

The MBT facility at AmeyCespa’s Waterbeach site on Ely Road, broke down in September 2012 after a malfunction in one of the two ‘lines’ of mechanical equipment that are used to turn the non-recyclable waste, extracted from the black bag waste for seven weeks as it composted. Following the malfunction of the turning equipment, a fire broke out at AmeyCespa’s mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facility in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire on Easter 2013 causing numerous damages to the facility.

The challenge

The Rotopala In-Vessel Composting machinery consisted of a fully automated in-feed system and trapezoidal windrow composting technology manufactured in Spain. The original mechanical equipment and electrical plant had to be removed and improvements made to the Compost Hall, including installation of an improved air handling system. Our services included the coordination of the installation and commissioning of the composting machinery and associated works.

The outcome

Successful refurbishment of the Mechanical Biological Treatment plan, delivering a composting hall capable of treating 132,000 tonnes of sorted and shredded MBT acceptable waste. The supply was scheduled to be finalized within less than nine months and due to great efforts, the mechanical and biological installation was completed ahead of schedule and plant commissioning started earlier than expected.

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