Please see below answers to four new questions that have arisen recently in relation to the plume, which will also be uploaded to the FAQ page of our Rivenhall IWMF website today:
Please pass these on to other members of the parish councils, and feel free to share them on social media or with members of the public who may enquire.
Why is there a visible plume from the stack?
The Rivenhall plume abatement system uses Best Available Techniques to prevent a visible plume. Like any complex piece of it equipment it requires testing and commissioning to ensure it can be effective in all climatic conditions. The information previously approved under condition 17 of the planning permission for the Rivenhall IWMF, prior to Indaver taking control of the site, did not contain any information regarding the commissioning or calibrating of the plume abatement equipment before it was brought into use. Working alongside Essex County Council, Indaver have sought to rectify this omission by submitting a non-material amendment. The non material amendment allows the submission of management plan which explains likely visible plumes over the testing period. In order to test in all climatic conditions the management plan covers a testing period up to December 2026.
Why can I see steam from other parts of the plant?
The Rivenhall EFW facility has a vacuum unit which moves clean steam through the process from boiler to turbine and back again. There are two parts of the system. A start up ejector which vents steam to atmosphere and a holding ejector which does not. During commissioning the start up ejector is used heavily until all parts of the plant are running efficiently. After all elements are commissioned the start up ejector should only be used at plant start up which routinely occurs once a year. During normal operation the holding ejector is in use and no steam is vented to atmosphere from this system. In addition to this, steam may be visible on occasion from roof vents during start up. The plant is due to finish commissioning in Feb 2026.
Why are Indaver applying to remove the visible plume condition?
The plume abatement system consumes 4 megawatts of electricity—enough to power approximately 12,000* UK households for an entire year. This energy is used solely to eliminate a plume that appears intermittently on cold days and provides no environmental benefit.
(*Based on an annual average household consumption of 2,700kWh Source: Ofgem)
Are there negative environmental effects if I can see a plume?
No. The plume abatement system and the flue gas cleaning system are separate systems. The flue gas cleaning system is designed to remove pollutants prior to leaving the stack. This is always in operation and the plant will never run without it. The plume abatement system is purely a cosmetic system to reduce the visual impact of condensing water vapour. Whether the plume is visible or not is not an indicator of the environmental performance of the plant.
14:11, Thursday
by Theresa Wilson
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