FCC Environmental Services, the US subsidiary of the global environmental services group FCC, has received the P3 Bulletin Award for the single-stream Material Recovery Facility (MRF) on the McCommas Bluff Landfill site in southern Dallas, Texas in the category Best Waste/Energy/Water Project. The winners were announced during a gala awards ceremony in Las Vegas on Thursday 27th October.

The contract to build and operate a plant to manage all of the recyclable waste in the Texan city for a period of 15 years, with a possible extension for a further 10 years, was awarded to FCC in November 2015. Construction on the state-of-the-art facility began at the start of this year. The design was based on helping the city to meet goals to increase waste diversion to: 40 percent by 2020, 60 percent by 2030, and 80 percent (“zero waste”) by 2040. The expected revenues for a possible total of 25 years would be around $300M or 270 million euros, with the facility due to be operational from 1st January, 2017.

The P3 model that FCC proposed stood out because it was the highest scored in all areas: technical, educational, operational and financial, guaranteeing a positive financial value to the City along the contract term. The contract also includes the creation of an education centre where FCC personnel will teach and train the community of Dallas about the importance and benefits of recycling. The judges for the award were enthusiastic because the project provides a model for the US for waste reduction in the future, offering a strong and efficient solution to a potentially growing problem in the country.

Inigo Sanz, CEO of FCC Environmental Services in the US, said “We are delighted to receive recognition for our approach to project financing of Dallas recycling facility. Although FCC we have used P3 models all over the world this marks the first time we have signed this type of contract in the US waste sector. We are a proud pioneer of environmental P3s, and we hope that the successful delivery of this facility will lead to further similar projects in this market.”

FCC Group has over 100 years of experience in environmental services. It currently serves more than 53 million people in 13 countries, with a network of more than 120 recycling facilities and 10 existing waste to energy projects with a capacity over 2.6 million tons and 300 MW power output. 
FCC’s backlog in environmental services was 11.826 billion euros at the end of last year, the business area also accounted for 51.7% of FCC Group’s EBITDA in 2015. In October 2016 FCC reached financial close on the Edinburgh & Midlothian EfW facility, it has also been shortlisted for the Belgrade EfW facility in Serbia. In 2015 FCC also secured a contract to manage a solid waste collection contract in Orange County, FL.

Photo note: Alfredo Vigre, Project Manager Dallas MRF; Andrea Rodriguez, Technical Director FCC Environmental Services; Iñigo Sanz, CEO FCC Environmental Services; Santiago Carrasco, CFO FCC Environmental Services.