Milestone reached in construction of Leeds Recycling and Energy Facility
This morning a 42-metre high arched frame was raised on site. It will form part of the largest ever timber frame to be erected in the UK. Once completed the new RERF facility will become an impressive iconic addition to the Leeds skyline with the ability to generate enough electricity to power up to 20,000 homes and to divert hundreds of thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill.
David Cowan, Head of Construction at Veolia said ‘The raising of the timber structure is a major milestone as it demonstrates what an impressive building this will be once it is completed’. He added ‘We are delighted with the progress of this facility which will be a driving force in helping Leeds City Council reach its challenging recycling and sustainability targets’.
Councillor Mark Dobson, Leeds City Council’s executive member for cleaner, safer and stronger communities said ‘It is excellent news that this facility is progressing so well. This project has already generated and secured hundreds of jobs and we look forward to its completion in early 2016 when a further 50 full time and permanent positions will be created’.
Work on the timber structure has been going on since early June. The arches are manufactured using Glulam laminated timber, one of the most sustainable construction materials available.
Tony Wing, Project Manager at Clugston said ‘We have progressed at the facility in Leeds as expected and everyone who is working on site is proud to be part of such an exciting project that will provide so many benefits to the Leeds community’.
The RERF facility is being built by Clugston Construction in collaboration with partner CNIM, under contract with Veolia, for Leeds City Council. Once completed in early 2016, it will have the capacity to deal with up to 214,000 tonnes of waste by recycling and using the remaining material to generate electricity.