Construction of a new £500M energy from waste facility in Gloucestershire will get under way soon following a ruling by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
The project, located at Javelin Park near Gloucestershire, is expected to create over 300 jobs at the peak of construction while the operational facility will employ around 40 people.
Plans for the scheme were submitted by Urbaser Balfour Beatty after the joint venture won a contract to design and build the facility in February 2013, but the plans were rejected by Gloucestershire County Council a month later. A public inquiry began after the firms appealed against the decision, which resulted in the Inspector recommending that the appeal be allowed and planning permission granted.
The new facility for the combustion of non-hazardous waste and the generation of energy will treat all of the residual household waste generated in Gloucestershire and collected by the District Councils.
It is expected to incinerate up to 190,000 tonnes of waste a year and could create enough electricity to power approximately 25,000 homes. The building will feature a 70m high chimney and an education/visitor centre.
The project will be undertaken by a 30/70 joint venture between Balfour Beatty and Urbaser. Balfour Beatty will invest £13M directly, and design and build the facility, which will then be handed over to Urbaser.
A document detailing the reasons for the Communities Secretary’s approval of the scheme cites the contribution the facility would make to the Government’s overall energy policy and climate change programme, diversion of waste from landfill and the need for residual waste recovery capacity.
