The UK Green Investment Bank (GIB) has committed to invest 51 million in the proposed energy-from-waste (EfW) plant in Kings Lynn, which still awaits a final planning decision from communities secretary Eric Pickles.
But, Norfolk county councillors will next month consider whether or not to continue with the Willows EfW project in view of the delay in a decision from the DCLG minister, which had been expected in January.
Should the council decide to terminate the 500 million, 25-year contract it awarded to the Cory Wheelabrator consortium in February 2012, it could be forced to pay compensation, which is currently capped at 20.3 million.
The county council today (March 20) announced that an extraordinary meeting will be held on Monday April 7 to debate whether to terminate the contract now to avoid an increase in the compensation figure due to the planning delay.
And, councillors will also consider whether to push forward with the EfW project if Eric Pickles does decide to give the green light to the facility. Any recommendations arising from the meeting will then afterwards be considered by the councils cabinet on the same day.
‘Not only will this new facility prevent over a quarter of a million tonnes of waste being sent to landfill each year it will also generate enough electricity to power over 40,000 homes a year.’
Shaun Kingsbury, Green Investment Bank chief executive
Last week (March 11), several Norfolk councillors from across the political parties wrote to Mr Pickles urging him to announce his final planning decision and end the uncertainty over the Kings Lynn EfW (see letsrecycle.com story).
The 268,000 tonnes-per-year capacity Willows incinerator has been beset by struggles since it was first announced, with councillors wrangling over whether to continue with the project at a Public Inquiry into the plant last summer (see letsrecycle.com story), and Defra withdrawing 169 million funding for the facility in October 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).
GIB investment
The proposed EfW plant would process 170,000 tonnes of residual waste per year from Norfolk households and around 100,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste per year, generating 170GWh of electricity enough to power 40,000 homes.
The GIBs 51m investment in the facility which was announced yesterday (March 19) will be made alongside that of two existing lenders, it said.
Shaun Kingsbury, chief executive of the GIB, said: Not only will this new facility prevent over a quarter of a million tonnes of waste being sent to landfill each year it will also generate enough electricity to power over 40,000 homes a year.
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