When it comes to transfrontier shipments (TFS) for refuse-derived fuel (RDF), Andusia is one of the UK’s largest contributors in terms of transaction and volume. In 2023 we completed 36 TFS and spent £433,000 on related fees. This year we have already completed 31 TFS and will likely spend more than £500,000 on fees by the end of 2024.
Expertly managing the TFS process can not only ensure your logistics operations flow smoothly, but help reduce costs while staying ahead of regulation. Our Q&A with Andusia compliance coordinator Jen Groves offers some useful pointers
Hi Jen, you oversee Andusia’s TFS process. What does that look like?
Once we have signed an RDF export contract with a customer, the TFS application process starts. Each application requires consent from the UK Environment Agency and international competent authorities before we can start to organise shipments of the waste to its end-destination, which is usually an energy-from-waste operator (end-plant) in Europe. Part of my role is to request, analyse and collate all the information needed for each application, and I manage this process from start to finish.
What skills do you need for this type of work?
You need to be good at math in terms of calculations and data analysis. This includes working out the cost of a TFS to include within a commercial sign off sheet to determine how profitable the arrangement is. Part of the job also involves analysing waste material results from our suppliers to ensure they meet the required specifications of our end-plants. This is especially important because if the waste material exceeds the level of a specific parameter, it won’t be accepted at the plant.
Do you need a good eye for detail?
Definitely! Within each TFS application there are 6-8 annexes that contain key information relating to waste producers, hauliers, routes, customs, processes and end-plants. Ensuring all of this is correct and up-to-date is vital otherwise it may delay the application getting approved. Good organisational skills are also critical as all TFS applications have an expiry date, which needs to logged, and the status of each TFS must be checked on a weekly basis. It can take between 1-3 months for an application to be fully consented, so it’s important to track their progress. Currently we have 54 active TFS that I need to keep an eye on and 16 TFS in progress.
What aspect of the work do you enjoy most?
Each application is different. I enjoy learning about any new customers we work with, and helping to build that special relationship with them to ensure they are looked after throughout the process. This includes keeping them updated on estimated start dates of the shipments and setting them up on our systems to ensure a smooth start to the contract.
How has the TFS process changed over time?
If a new requirement comes into play, I usually have to request more information from our customers. One example is the POPs regulation for persistent organic pollutants, which required our suppliers to document how POPs were dealt with in their waste processes. One of the biggest changes has been the introduction of a new charging scheme for TFS from April this year – while this has given us more flexibility with our logistics operations, we have had to manage this accordingly to ensure our customers aren’t impacted too much.
Can you explain further?
Under the new charging scheme, any amendments made to a TFS application after transmission for exporting waste for energy recovery now incur a £82 fee. Originally, these amendments were free of charge to make so it’s quite a significant change. We’ve been able to reduce the number of amendments by refining our processes when setting up a TFS. There will be certain scenarios however where we may need to make a judgement call on whether the fee is worth paying and those will be made on a case-by-case basis.
What advice would give to others when it comes to TFS?
Make sure you have all the information you need to cover all avenues in the TFS application process before submission. It’s worth including additional information even if not required as it can often speed up the application process. Stay in contact with the authorities when it comes to checking timescales so you can better estimate the TFS start date to avoid having to pay an amendment fee should the date change.