Viridor has won permission at the second attempt to develop a £200 million energy-from-waste incinerator with combined heat and power technology at Oxwellmains, near Dunbar.
Following yesterday's announcement, Viridor confirmed it would proceed with the project, which is expected to process 150,000 tonnes-a-year of residual municipal waste, with the remaining capacity filled with commercial and industrial waste from the surrounding region.
The facility, which is being built at Viridor's existing Oxwellmains landfill site, will use the waste to generate 17 megawatts of heat for local use and 23 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 39,000 homes.
Milestone
Commenting on the approval, the company's Scottish regional director, Colin Paterson, said: “The approval of plans for Scotland's most advanced energy from waste facility is good news for sustainability in Scotland and marks a key milestone on the road to delivering the Scottish Government's zero waste strategy.”
The proposals were rejected by East Lothian's planning committee despite council officers and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) backing them – something which was highlighted by Mr Paterson.
“We're pleased the inquiry reporter recognised SEPA's view that ‘a need case for a plant on this scale has been made' and that ‘the proposal is the best practical environmental option for the waste stream'. The economic case for the proposal was compelling and the community benefits significant,” he said.
“Located on long-established, rail linked waste management site, Viridor's resource efficiency hub will work in tandem with enhanced recycling and make a significant contribution towards a smarter strategy for waste reduction, re-use, recycling and recovering energy from what remains.”
Viridor has revealed that the corporate funding required to develop the plant is in place, with work expected to begin in the New Year.
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