The North East Scotland Shared (NESS) EfW plant, which handles non-recyclable waste from Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils, shut at the end of December 2025 following ongoing technical difficulties.
No timeframe has been confirmed for when the facility will reopen.
The plant, which processes more than 100,000 tonnes of residual waste each year, only began operations around 18 months ago.
The facility had already been forced to stop operations in June 2025, following escalating technical problems.
Suez takes over NESS EfW facility
Aberdeen City Council has terminated its contract with former operator EfW Ness, with waste and recycling company Suez has now been appointed as interim operator.
John Scanlon, CEO of Suez, commented: “Suez has a strong track record in operating safe, compliant and efficient EfW facilities across the UK and Isle of Man, and we look forward to utilising this technical expertise to support the councils of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray with the management and operation of Ness EfW on an interim contract.”
The council said staff working at the site will transfer to the interim operator and that the temporary shutdown is not expected to affect household refuse collections across the three council areas.
Waste redirected to other facilities
In a statement, Aberdeen City Council confirmed that the site would remain closed during the transition while arrangements are put in place, with local authority partners focusing on appointing a permanent operator.
Scanlon added: “We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Aberdeen City Council through the management of their waste and recycling, delivering increased recycling rates and introducing reuse to the benefit of Aberdeen residents, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative partnership.”
Waste from all three councils is being redirected to other facilities, primarily Stoneyhill landfill.
The NESS EfW project has faced a number of challenges since construction, with Indaver withdrawing from the scheme in August 2025, after which Spanish engineering firm ACCIONA took over the facility.
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