Rivenhall Integrated Waste Management Facility

Overview

Rivenhall Integrated Waste Management Facility, Rivenhall Airfield, Woodhouse Lane. Also known as Indaver Rivenhall Limited, Energy from Waste Plant

What is the page for?

To provide an update about the ongoing commissioning activities at the energy from waste plant at Rivenhall Integrated Waste Management Facility.

What's happening?

Since the last Local Liaison Group meeting on 12 June 2025, preparatory activities (involving the initial testing of equipment while not burning waste) ahead of hot commissioning, (where the facility undertakes additional testing the installed equipment while burning waste) have continued.

Compliance

Environmental Permit CP3906LP/V004 requires the submission of a number of reports including a commissioning plan which require Environment Agency approval ahead of hot commissioning as stated in condition 2.5.1/Table S1.4A. This plan outlines the phases of commissioning and associated activities and timescales for completion, for the energy from waste plant. The plan also includes the measures the operator will take to minimise the potential impact to the environment of commissioning activities.

In terms of the commissioning plan required by pre-operational condition PO3 and additional supporting information including the associated impact assessments provided by Indaver, our position is that;

We are satisfied that the environmental impact from the proposed hot commissioning process will be no greater than that which would be allowed under the current permit. In that the relevant air quality standards are unlikely to be breached, providing appropriate measures are taken by the operator as outlined in the commissioning plan.

We have reached this conclusion on the basis that:

• there is nothing in the current permit conditions that would preclude the commissioning of the incinerator only without the other buildings having been constructed;
• we require in any case that the commissioning impact assessment (required under the commissioning plan agreement process under pre-operational measure 3) to have modelled all relevant commissioning scenarios including in the event that the other buildings had not yet been constructed and
• the current commissioning plan fully takes into account the associated impacts of this scenario, which we agree will not have a significant impact on the environment.

We have therefore agreed the commissioning plan and additional supporting information which means hot commissioning activities are able to commence.

All other pre-operational conditions have also been assessed and have been approved by the Environment Agency.

A compliance assessment report was issued to Indaver on the 16 July 2025 confirming the completion of all of the pre-operational conditions subject to condition 2.5.1/Table S1.4A of the permit.

Indaver has also confirmed that the ‘Readiness to Accept Waste’ checks as defined in the agreed commissioning plan have been completed. We have therefore been advised by Indaver that waste acceptance started on 21 July 2025, with hot commissioning activities involving waste combustion to commence week commencing the 04 August 2025.

The following compliance visits have been recently undertaken at the site;

• 15 May 2025 - General Site Inspection - Proposed storage and containment of materials, raw materials, reagents, and residues/pre-operational program.
• 08 July 2025 - Site Inspection - Cold commissioning - Smoke testing of Waste Reception Hall/Bunker/Bottom Ash storage areas within the building.
• 16 July 2025 - Site Inspection - Cold commissioning - Steam Blowing activities/testing.

We have provided inspection reports for these visits to Indaver.

Our compliance visits will continue during the commissioning phases now that waste is being accepted by the site. The commissioning phases and associated activities are defined within the agreed commissioning plan.

All inspection reports, submissions made in accordance with the conditions of the permit and associated correspondence will be made available on our public registers.

Application - Variation V003

Our previous briefing note issued on the 18 December 2024 regarding the application to change (vary) the environmental permit confirms the proposed changes applied for by Indaver. This application remains under determination, although we are planning a further consultation imminently on our draft decision. We have a duty under the Environmental Permitting Regulations to consult with the public on new permit applications including changes, for energy from waste (EfW) plants, and we want to ensure that we take all relevant information including local information into account as part of our decision-making process.

A further briefing will be provided confirming details of the consultation including the mechanism/period for submission of comments.

Recent reports about the site during commissioning activities

We have been made aware by members of the local liaison group, Indaver and members of the public using our pollution hotline of recent reports of potential odour and reports of dark smoke/steam from the facility. We provide the following information regarding our position regarding these events. These aspects were also recently discussed during the last local liaison group meeting.

Odour

During commissioning we acknowledge there is potential for odour during the drying of the refractory insulation binder. This will occur during the first few heat ups of the boiler while the following activities are undertaken.

• boiling out (of the boiler).
• testing and optimisation of the auxiliary burners.
• steam blowing.
• waste operation.

The reason for this is that during these activities there are different operating temperatures involved will lead to a differing amount of drying/duration of drying. We understand that drying activities and associated odour should be temporary, with measures taken to minimise odour which are confirmed within the commissioning plan/ risk assessment and odour management plan for the facility.

There is also the potential for odour to be generated during waste acceptance and from storage activities. There should be no odour associated with the burning of the waste once hot commissioning starts.

Our position is that we expect the operator to take appropriate measures to prevent or where not practicable minimise odour emissions as defined within their approved odour management plan submitted under pre-operational condition PO9/condition 2.5.1 to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of the environmental permit.

Smoke/steam emissions during commissioning

Stack/Chimney - We expect that the production of dark smoke during the commissioning of the auxiliary burners, using fuel oil to be a transient activity, with the control measure of optimising combustion (non-waste fuel/air mix) to be completed as soon as possible. The operator should take appropriate measures to minimise the duration of these activities as far a reasonably practicable.

Steam emissions - We expect emissions of steam from the site during steam blowing activities and other commissioning activities as the air-cooled condenser is yet to be commissioned.

There is limited potential risk to the environment as a result of the transient nature of these activities providing the operator takes appropriate measures, as outlined in the commissioning plan to manage these. It is important to note that weather conditions/light may influence the visibility/perception of the plume.

The timing of these activities is subject to the planning authorisations for the facility. We liaise with Essex County Council regarding reports received about the facility. July 2025

We have been advised by Indaver that waste acceptance commenced on 21 July 2025 ready for hot commissioning activities (involving the combustion of waste) to start week commencing 04 August 2025.