‘Green is good for business’ Viridor chief executive Colin Drummond told thisiswesternmorningnews. The waste management, recycling and renewable energy company has been criticised for its plans for an incinerator in Ivybridge, but it has also signed Europe’s largest waste renewable contract for a PFI scheme in Greater Manchester – the total revenue over the 25 year contract is reported to be £3 billion.
“We are driven ruthlessly by what is in our shareholders’ interests,” said Colin.
The waste-to-energy plant in Ivybridge has come under fire with critics saying it was an outdated technology and a misguided approach to energy provision.
“Waste accounts for 1.5 per cent of the UK’s electricity’s production and 30 per cent of its renewable energy output. I have called on the Government repeatedly to set a target of six per cent of electricity from waste by 2015,” he said.
“While we need every bit of energy we can get, wind on its own has got a lot of problems.
“Once we have maximised the recycling, there is always a residue which we can either put in landfill, which is being restricted by Europe, quite rightly.
“The residue has to be burnt and you might as well do that so that you can maximise the amount of renewable energy as well as dealing with the waste management problem.”
The chief executive of the Taunton-based company as a whole, which is owned by South West Water parent Pennon Group said: “A lot of people in Birmingham and London think that you have to be based in a big city centre to trade successfully, but that’s not the case. It is quite possible to build a big business in the West Country.”
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