Exeter energy from waste steam blowing process

Following the start of the commissioning process for the Exeter Energy from Waste plant, steam blowing has been suspended until Tuesday 4 March after concerns were expressed by some residents in Exeter. 

The noise emitted by steam blowing through the plant to dislodge grit from the internal pipework far exceeded initial forecasts, and after two successive 'blows' the operation has been stopped to allow for technical modifications and further communication to the community. 

Ian Crummack, Project Director at TIRU UK, the company constructing the plant said: "We are very sorry for any alarm caused by these two incidents. On Tuesday, we set two steam blows, which lasted for about 8-10 minutes.

“Whilst it is a perfectly safe procedure that is a vital part of commissioning the plant, the noise was nonetheless extremely loud - far louder than we had anticipated, so we have halted the process.

“This will enable us to talk to the local community, let them know what we're doing so that they are aware, and also make some changes to the process to try and mitigate the noise.  

“I must emphasise that process is a one off and when the plant is in operation it will be barely audible beyond the boundary of the facility. However, we do not want to cause any inconvenience to anyone so we are stepping up our communications to ensure more people know what to expect. "

The steam blows will be taking place at 10am and 2pm from Tuesday 4th March  - Thursday 6th March next week, and Monday 10th - Thursday 13th March when all steam blowing should be concluded. 

For more information, please visit http://tiru-uk.co.uk/exeter

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