The long term operation contract between the Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, and Resource Recovery Solutions Ltd (RRS) has come to end at the beginning of August 2019. The council has already launched the process for the next operation and maintenance contract. But meanwhile, the task of building and operating a gasification waste treatment centre in Sinfin continues.

Since then the facility temporarily ceased accepting waste and the councils have been working hard behind the scenes with contractor Renewi to remove the remaining waste in preparation for cleaning – a key milestone for the project.

Work to determine the facility’s current condition and capability also continues and will be the next major milestone for the project. This work is being carried out by Renewi, who signed a two-year contract with the councils in August. The outcome of their investigatory work will determine next steps for the facility, with more detail of this likely to be known in the new year.

The termination of the contract followed months of negotiations with RRS after the councils asked funders to step in and get the delayed facility up and running. The plant was due to open in 2017.