COUNTY Hall has reacted to news revealed in today s Welwyn and Hatfield Times about the shortlisted firms in the frame for Hatfield s incinerator project. The companies are Covanta Energy, E.ON Energy from Waste, MVV Umwelt GmbH, the Shanks PFI Investment

COUNTY Hall has reacted to news revealed in today's Welwyn and Hatfield Times about the shortlisted firms in the frame for Hatfield's incinerator project.

The companies are Covanta Energy, E.ON Energy from Waste, MVV Umwelt GmbH, the Shanks PFI Investments Ltd/Wheelabrator Technologies Inc consortium, the SITA UK Ltd consortium and Veolia Environmental Services.

The county's preferred site for a 'waste disposal centre' is New Barnfield.

A spokesman said: "It is too early to know what technology will be used or where a future facility will be.

"The short-listed bidders have so far completed pre-qualifying questionnaires (PQQ). These questionnaires demonstrate the past experience of the bidders and not their proposed solution.

"However, analysis of the submitted PQQs indicates that the majority of the bidders have experience of Energy from Waste or Advanced Thermal Treatments (ATT) technologies [waste incinerators - editor] with some having direct experience in providing Combined Heat and Power (CHP).

"The information provided by the potential bidders in their PQQs indicates that the county council may receive some thermal technology solutions similar to its reference case.

"There will not be a final decision on the site or the technology until the county council has gone through the whole procurement process.

"However it is anticipated that in Spring 2010 we will have a clear understanding of the site and technology being proposed and we will continue to be open with Hertfordshire residents and other interested parties about the decisions we make."

See today's Welwyn & Hatfield Times for our story which sparked the council's reaction.