Geminor has signed a deal to handle what it claims is the first ever export of treated waste from Iceland.

The Norwegian resource management firm penned a five-year contract to ship refuse-derived fuel (RDF) from Iceland to the Netherlands, where it will be transported to a waste-to-energy facility.

The agreement dictates a total of 70,000 tonnes of rubbish will be taken abroad over this period.

Once it arrives, the rubbish, which would otherwise have ended up in landfill, is converted into a useful fuel able to generate electricity, steam and heat for industry and district heating networks.

Geminor says the first shipment of RDF will leave Icelandic shores this summer and expects regular shipments will begin later in the year.

Geminor’s Chief Operating Officer, Ralf Schöpwinkel, said: “Today, all waste on Iceland goes to landfill. This contract means that Iceland now joins many other European countries in making good use of their household waste by sending it to the EU as secondary fuel.

“This is not only a milestone for Iceland, but also for Geminor as a resource management company.”