Proposed for the Bennett Ferguson Coal Handling Yard, off Hasland Road, the facility would be capable of processing 40,000 tonnes of organic waste a year, including food waste containing animal by-products.
The plant would treat organic household waste collected by nearby district councils using an in-vessel system. The council said the exact nature of the technology to be used is undecided.
The county council has invited local residents to an open day event on Thursday, June 29, to gauge their views on the plans.
The proposal for Grassmoor comes after plans to build a similar but smaller facility in the Peak District at Buxton were approved in January. The Buxton plant is expected to be established by June 2007.
The two new sites will help Derbyshire to meet its Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme targets set by the government to cut the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill.
Announcing the project, Cllr Brian Lucas, Derbyshire county council's cabinet member for sustainable communities, told residents: “We're always looking for ways to reduce, reuse and recycle your rubbish and by building our own composting facility we'd; be saving your money in the long-run too.”
Animal by-products
Derbyshire currently sends organic household waste to two open-windrow facilities at Rotherham and Alfrethon, which are run by waste management company Waste Recycling Group.
The new composting facility at Grassmoor would enable the county to compost a wider range of organic wastes, using technology that is approved to take animal by-products as well as garden waste.
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The centre would also be designed to control noise and odours, being located next to a railway line and 200m from the nearest house.
Mr Lucas added: “We think the Bennett Fergusson Coal Handling Yard is an ideal site for the facility.”
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