Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) design and build project - Lancashire Renewables

Lancashire Renewables Limited (LRL) operates and manages two waste treatment facilities on behalf of its public sector shareholders. LRL is undertaking a strategic review of the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) at Farington Waste Recovery Park, Sustainability Way, Leyland, PR26 6TB.
The existing MRF was commissioned approximately 15 years ago. It processes dry mixed recyclables but is increasingly constrained by its design capacity, ageing infrastructure, process bottlenecks, variable output quality and limited ability to recover additional materials. LRL currently manages approximately 65,000 tonnes per annum of dry mixed recyclables, of which approximately 50,000 tonnes per annum can be processed at Farington; the balance is diverted off site. The existing plant operates at an estimated average throughput of approximately 16 tonnes per hour and does not currently target paper, card, cartons or flexible plastics as separate output streams.
Changes to waste composition, end-market quality requirements and national policy initiatives, including Extended Producer Responsibility, the Deposit Return Scheme and Simpler Recycling, create a need for greater capacity, recovery, quality and flexibility. LRL has recently concluded an independent feasibility study assessing three strategic options: refurbishment of the existing MRF; construction of a new advanced MRF; and a hybrid solution combining a new MRF with redevelopment of the existing plant. The study identifies a new MRF as the most robust long-term option, while recognising the higher capital requirement and the need for further design and commercial validation.
LRL is therefore undertaking preliminary market engagement to substantiate the feasibility study's principal cost, programme, technical and delivery assumptions before further developing a business case for its Shareholders. LRL's earlier high-level market understanding indicated a potential new-MRF cost in the region of £13-15m, whereas the independent...