The estimated £80 million plant is being proposed by a consortium of developers – Fortum Carlisle Limited, Kingmoor Park Properties and Verus Energy Ltd – as part of Cumbria county council’s emerging Minerals and Waste Local Plan.
The facility, which would annually process around 160,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) sourced from the local area, would be sited at the city’s Kingmoor Park Industrial Estate.
Developers suggest the plant could also employ up to 40 people, and produce 25MW of power for the National Grid.
A consultation event is being held at Kingsmoor Community & Business Centre next week (4 May) before the planning application is made in order to introduce the project and engage with local residents and businesses about the proposed development.
A planning application will be submitted to county council this summer, and residents will then have another opportunity to make comments to before it makes a decision on the proposal.
Verus Energy
A spokesman for Verus Energy Limited said: “As part of our community consultation exercise, we are delighted to be holding a public event in Kingmoor, Carlisle in order to engage with local residents and businesses and give them an opportunity to find out more about the proposed facility and comment on the project.
“Cumbria county council has allocated the site for the development of an energy recovery facility and our proposals will take this allocation forward into a full planning application.”
Spokesman
Verus Energy
“Cumbria county council has allocated the site for the development of an energy recovery facility and our proposals will take this allocation forward into a full planning application. The proposal will create local employment, divert waste from landfill and generate electricity and heat in a sustainable manner.”
The county council already has a pre-existing 25-year PPP contract with Shanks Group to manage municipal refuse – viatwo 75,000 tonne capacity mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plants at Hespin Wood and Barrow-in-Furness.
However, in its last trading update Shanks signalled that the £720 million contract was proving ‘onerous’ following permit issues at the Barrow-in-Furness facility in recent years (see letsrecycle.com story).
In February, neighbouring Lancashire county council took the decision to mothball its two MBT plants at Farington and Thornton in a move aimed at slashing the cost of services in the county (see letsrecycle.com story).
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