Nantycaws Resource Recovery Facility Enters Key Phase in Circular Economy Infrastructure Development

The Nantycaws Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) has reached an exciting new phase. The completion of Phase 1 marks significant progress in the development of one of Wales’s most advanced pieces of circular economy infrastructure.

Why a New Facility?

The decision to build a new Resource Recovery Facility stems from a clear and growing need for more robust, future-ready recycling infrastructure in Wales. As the demand for sustainable resource management solutions continues to rise, the limitations of older facilities have become increasingly apparent.

The urgency for a new facility became undeniable in 2021, when a fire, sparked by a lithium-ion battery incorrectly disposed of in a resident’s blue bag of co-mingled household recycling, destroyed our original Materials Recovery Facility (MRF). The incident highlighted the critical importance of designing facilities with advanced fire prevention systems, improved material handling, and greater operational resilience. The new RRF has been shaped by these lessons, prioritising safety and adaptability from the outset.

The facility is designed to meet current recycling and recovery targets, and evolves with the circular economy, supporting local authorities and communities to reduce waste, recover more value from materials, and shift towards a lower-carbon, more resilient economy.

By investing in this modern site, we are building the capacity to process materials more efficiently and increase recovery rates for valuable resources. The facility is also strategically aligned with the Welsh Government’s ambitions to become a zero-waste nation by 2050.

Crucially, the Nantycaws site strengthens our ability to:

• Support green skills development and local job creation
• Improve environmental performance across the region
• Offer long-term economic and environmental value to Welsh communities

What’s Been Achieved So Far?

Since our last update, several significant milestones have been achieved on-site undertaken by Jones Brothers Henllan:

• The main processing shed has been fully erected
• Electrical and plumbing installations are now complete
• A new road layout has been constructed, improving access, logistics and on-site safety
• Installation of automated weighbridges is scheduled
• A secondary storage shed has been completed for processed commodities, increasing efficiency in handling and outbound logistics

What’s Next?

Phase 2 of the build is now underway. It includes the integration of cutting-edge safety and operational systems that position the Nantycaws RRF as one of the most advanced of its kind in the UK.

Key developments include:

• Fire suppression infrastructure is being installed in partnership with Fire Shield. This state-of-the-art system includes:
  
  • Intelligent flame detection cameras
  • Automated water cannons for rapid response
  • A dedicated on-site effluent water tank and drainage infrastructure
    
• The recycling plant installation begins on 25 August, delivered by CWS.
  
  This highly advanced facility will incorporate:
  
  • Film extraction and separation systems
  • Multiple Tomra optical sorters
  • NIR (near infrared) separation systems
  • A ballistic separator
  • Eddy Current Separator (ECS)
  • Magnetic belt (Magbelt)
  • Two bag splitters for handling co-mingled input streams
  • Automated bunkers for material storage
  • Two twin ram balers supplied by RepTec

The plant will be capable of processing up to 80,000 tonnes of material annually, managing both household co-mingled waste and commercial segregated recyclable waste streams. It is also being built with future flexibility in mind, engineered to handle a curbside sort stream for Carmarthenshire County Council, scheduled to come into effect in 2028 in line with the Welsh Government’s Collections Blueprint.

Collaboration at Scale

Delivering a project of this magnitude demands partnership. So far, over 1,000 people have contributed to the project, with more than 23 companies involved across civil engineering, mechanical installation, electrical works, logistics, and systems integration.

This level of collaboration reflects not just the complexity of the build, but the shared ambition to accelerate Wales’s shift to a circular, green economy, an economy built on skills, innovation, and sustainability.

Looking Ahead

As the project moves into its next stage, the Nantycaws RRF stands as a tangible investment in the future of the Circular Economy in Wales.

• Enhancing regional waste infrastructure capacity
• Boosting resource recovery capabilities
• Supporting green job creation
• Reinforcing our commitment to environmental excellence

Further updates will be shared on our website and across our digital channels.

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