VIDEO | GMI on track with County Durham build

The contractor has completed the steel framework of a £15.7m waste-to-energy facility for client Fornax Environmental Solutions.

GMI Construction Group is ahead of schedule on the 75,000 sq ft development, which is inked in for completion at Merchant Park, Newton Aycliffe in April 2025.

Work on the high temperature thermal treatment facility began in June. Once handed over, there will be a three-month commissioning period.

Developed for Fornax Environmental Solutions, it will process up to 10,500 tonnes annually of hazardous and clinical waste produced by the industrial and healthcare sectors, largely within the region.

Using advanced rotary kiln combustion technology, the energy and heat generated will be made available to neighbouring businesses, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

The facility, located on Millennium Way, is the second development at Merchant Park, a £90m, 65-acre scheme where Hitachi Rail Europe also has a base.

A BREEAM rating of very good and an EPC B score are being targeted.

Gary Oates, GMI’s regional director, said: “This milestone marks an exciting chapter for the project and highlights the incredible progress we’ve made. Completing the steel framework ahead of schedule highlights the dedication, skill, and teamwork of our staff and delivery partners and reaffirms our commitment to providing high-quality industrial facilities in the North East.”

Ian Jones, joint managing director of Fornax, added: “We are investing in a critically underfunded sector within the UK, addressing the limited capacity for the disposal of clinical and hazardous waste. Instead of exporting it offshore, we’re offering a local solution to a local problem.

“However, this facility will also provide energy to local businesses. Many have already expressed interest in the heat offtake, helping them reduce their reliance on carbon-based fossil fuels for heating and electricity.”