The milestone marks the formal handover of the £210 million facility from construction contractor Kanadevia Inova – formerly known as Hitachi Zosen Inova – to operations, with the plant now generating electricity from residual waste. Under a long-term operations and maintenance contract, Kanadevia Inova will continue to run the plant on behalf of project company Westfield Energy Recovery Limited (WERL).
Located on the site of the former Westfield opencast coal mine near Kinglassie in Fife, the facility is being hailed as a key asset in Scotland’s drive toward a circular economy.
Once fully operational, the plant will process up to 250,000 tonnes of commercial, industrial and residual household waste each year – material that would otherwise have gone to landfill.
Energy generated by the facility – up to 24MW of baseload electricity – will be exported to the local grid, enough to power around 70,000 homes and businesses. The site is designed to operate at an availability of 98%, with Viridor emphasising the importance of its role in displacing fossil fuel reliance and avoiding methane emissions from landfill.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Jonathan Heneghan, director of capital projects at Viridor, said the plant represents “a monumental achievement” in terms of both infrastructure and community benefit.
“Westfield ERF is a fantastic, state-of-the-art facility which will have a significant positive impact on the local economy. Hundreds of people have contributed to this project over the past few years, and we are proud to now move into the operational phase,” he said.
The project was constructed over three years, bringing with it significant regional economic benefits. According to Viridor, more than 3,000 people worked on-site during the build phase, with a peak construction workforce exceeding 540.
Now in full operation, the plant has created over 30 permanent roles and will offer long-term procurement opportunities for local businesses and contractors, with ongoing service, maintenance and logistics requirements.
‘Significant greenfield investment’
Equitix CEO Hugh Crossley also welcomed the milestone, describing it as a “significant greenfield investment” for the infrastructure investor.
“We are thrilled to announce the successful completion and commissioning of the Westfield ERF,” Crossley said. “This achievement exemplifies the power of strong partnerships in creating long-term value and supporting local economies.”
He added: “Westfield ERF is set to play a crucial role in Scotland’s net zero transition – reducing methane emissions, generating green energy and supporting the growth of sustainable infrastructure.”
The facility is said to be one of the most efficient ERFs in the UK, equipped with Kanadevia Inova’s proprietary reciprocating grate technology, high-efficiency boilers and advanced flue gas cleaning systems.
As Scotland continues to pursue its climate targets and landfill ban policies, infrastructure like Westfield ERF is seen as crucial in bridging the gap between residual waste generation and available treatment capacity. With landfill bans on biodegradable municipal waste already in place and further restrictions on the horizon, the availability of modern treatment facilities is increasingly under scrutiny.
WERF is now one of several operational ERFs contributing to a wider network of residual waste infrastructure across Scotland and the UK.
In a joint statement, Viridor and Equitix reaffirmed their commitment to delivering “safe, clean and reliable waste treatment infrastructure” that can recover energy and materials from non-recyclable waste streams – while also providing stable, long-term jobs and supporting regional supply chains.
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