16 profile
Does waste hold the key to tomorrow’s energy supplies?
Richard Skehens, chief executive officer of Grundon Waste Management certainly believes so. A keen advocate of waste as an 'undiscovered' resource, he believes if used to maximum advantage, it can play an increasingly important role in helping meet the UK’s future energy needs
“As old nuclear power stations are turned off we are potentially facing real energy problems in this country,” he said. “Developing more Energy from Waste (EfW) plants can play a part in filling that gap, if we can use waste material to generate energy we should be doing so.”
Skehens certainly knows what he is talking about. He was the driving force behind Grundon’s flagship £160 million Lakeside EfW plant which today generates around 37 Megawatts of electricity per hour.
Almost all of that power is exported directly into the National Grid, where it is capable of powering the equivalent of around 50,000 homes, roughly a town the size of Slough.
He is immensely proud of what he calls “my baby” and was behind the plan from its conception 17 years ago, to its official opening by HRH The Duke of Edinburgh in 2010.
He fully accepts that not everyone shares his enthusiasm. Plans for Grundon’s second EfW plant at Chieveley, near the M4/A34 junction, were recently rejected by West Berkshire Council, but he remains optimistic and would ideally like to see a network of EfWs built nationwide.
“I think there is a growing awareness that waste is a resource. It might be called waste, but clearly it isn’t, and more people are recognising that,” he said. “There’s a real need to move waste up the hierarchy, to see it as a resource rather than a waste material.”
This year Skehens celebrated 29 years with Grundon, an anniversary marked by a step up from his previous role as managing director to CEO. He first joined the family- owned business as estates manager and it says a lot about the company culture and management style that Skehens can truthfully say, even after all this time, he loves his job.
He puts a great deal of that down to the trust and independence that chairman Norman Grundon and his son Neil, deputy chairman, allow him. “I really enjoy what I do, Norman has given me a lot of autonomy to grow the company and the team over the years,” he said.
Skehens is a champion not just for Grundon, but also for the wider waste management industry. Four years ago he chaired trade body the Environmental Services
www.businessmag.co.uk Richard Skehens
Association (ESA) and still sits on the board, giving him the opportunity to be a key influencer, meeting with government ministers and relevant departments and organisations.
“Being involved helps raise Grundon’s profile, it gives us a voice at the top table and enables us to be part of the discussions and talk about the big issues of the day. That’s important to us. We see ourselves as a regional company with a national reputation, and our industry profile underlines that,” he continued.
The company is investing for the future, not just in EfW but also materials recovery and Skehens is determined to continue the drive towards reducing landfill. At its Colnbrook site, it already has one of the most advanced Materials Recovery Facilities (MRF) of its kind in the UK, handling more than 100,000 tonnes of mixed recyclable rubbish per year, including glass.
There are plans, working with another company, to tackle the food waste mountain, which he describes as “the next big challenge”. The move would see the introduction of anaerobic digestion plants, which not only handle food waste and green waste but convert it into electricity – which
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – THAMES VALLEY – JUNE 2012
brings us back to Skehens’ firm belief that waste is the fuel of the future.
Grundon’s excellent industry links enable it to glean new ideas and developments from around the world. Later this year, another new recruit to the war on waste is likely to be a new Canadian machine specially- designed to safely separate the components from waste aerosols, tins of paint and oil filters, enabling the resources to recovered and recycled.
Closer to home however, a key area of growth for Grundon is commercial and industrial waste and the team works closely with major companies like British Airways and BAA to help minimise waste and encourage recovery and recycling at every step.
“If businesses have a problem with waste, then they can talk to us and we know how to find the right solution,” said Skehens. “Peoples’ attitudes have changed and our industry must keep building on that with continuing education campaigns.
“It all comes down to awareness, if you are aware of recycling at home, then all of a sudden you are thinking about it in the office. The key to improvement is to make recycling as easy as possible – no matter where you are.”
Demonstrating its commitment to encouraging other companies to play their part in waste management and sustainability programmes Grundon is, for the first time, sponsoring a new category in the Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards 2012. The Green Progress Award will focus on companies who have shown the most progress in 'green' practices over the past 12 months, combining care for the environment with achieving successful business practices.
Details:
01753-686777
info@grundon.com www.grundon.com
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