Trials begin of machine capable of turning waste into power fuel

Under a process called autoclave, unsorted waste is put into a huge vessel and rotated while steam is injected into the system at around 160 degrees celsius.

The cycle continues for around an hour until the waste turns into a sterile organic fibre, while material such as metal, plastic and glass are separated out.

Yesterday engineering support services company VT Group showcased the technology at a trial treatment centre in Calder Vale Road, Wakefield.

Trials are being carried out for a proposed treatment centre at South Kirkby, near Pontefract, which, it is expected, will deal with waste collected by Wakefield Council. Three of the autoclave units will be installed at the South Kirkby site to treat 180,000 tonnes of waste a year, reducing the need for landfill.

VT and Wakefield Council are in negotiations on a Private Finance Initiative contract which is valued at around 750m over 25 years.

A spokesman for the VT Group said the South Kirkby plant would offer a "green energy solution" in which the fibre residue will be treated to produce a gas that can be burned to generate power.

Some ecologists oppose burning of fuel from waste and say more information is needed.