Pictured above: Ana Da Silva and Andrew Peters of Covanta's business development department, outside the new Covanta offices in Halesowen

The American Energy-from-Waste (EfW) company Covanta Energy have moved to new, larger UK headquarters in Halesowen, marking the company's growth in the sustainable energy sector.

Covanta Energy is the world's leading Energy-from-Waste (EfW) company. It is celebrating six years of progress in the UK and Irish waste and energy sector with the move to new offices in Mucklow Hill. It has also published its first UK Annual Review which is available in both print formats and as a PDF on the company's website www.covantaenergy.co.uk/covanta-uk-home/~/media/Annual%20Review%202010_web.ashx.

Since entering the UK in 2005, Covanta has developed a £2 billion investment programme which will deliver seven strategic combined heat and power EfW facilities across the UK and Ireland. These will divert 3 million tonnes of waste from landfill and use it to generate sustainable electricity and heat. Each of the sites is strategically located taking into consideration transport links  in areas which have high levels of commercial and household waste in need of safe disposal.

Covanta operates 44 Energy-from-Waste plants worldwide and supplies 9 million megawatt hours of energy. It uses waste which cannot be sensibly recycled as a fuel to create sustainable energy. The company opened its UK office in Kingswinford, West Midlands in 2005, starting with just three members of staff. Six years on, the company now boasts a team of over 50 with the prospect of employing many more in the coming years. It also has offices in Bedfordshire and Wales.

The new EfW facilities will provide the UK with approximately 2.5 million megawatt hours of sustainable electricity. As these new projects come on stream Covanta will need to increase its staff further. Some of these will be based in Halesowen, with others located at specific project locations.

The construction programme will employ up to 3,500 people across the country. Once built each of the seven plants will employ about 80 people, with many more jobs created in the service and supply chain.

Commenting on the move, Malcolm Chilton, Managing Director of Covanta Energy, said: "Covanta's UK growth has been exceptional. The UK has an urgent need for proven forms of renewable energy infrastructure and we are well placed to meet this demand.

"Moving to a new, larger headquarters will enable us to expand further and support our projects across the UK and Ireland. It's good news not only for the UK's sustainable energy sector, but also Halesowen where new employment opportunities will arise as our projects come to fruition."

Covanta's decision to stay in the West Midlands is extremely important for the area. Recent figures released by The Office for National Statistics showed that unemployment in the West Midlands had risen by 27,000 to 265,000 people.