October 26, 2010 3.57 pm This story is over 176 months old

Waste-to-energy facility coming in 2013

Energy efficient: A recycling facility will finally be the first of its kind erected in the city, creating jobs and energy sources.

By Elizabeth Fish Former Associate Editor

Building works for the first large waste-to-energy recycling plant in the Lincoln area will start in February 2011, and completed in May 2013.

The Energy from Waste (EfW) facility (pictured) will be designed, built and run by the Waste Recycling Group (WRG) and hopes to reduce the amount of waste Lincolnshire sends to the landfill.

The EfW will be built in North Hykeham on 3.1 hectares of land, and will include a visitor centre. The new facility will also create 33 jobs in the city.

The project will treat 150,000 tonnes of residual waste a year in the county, and will also generate electricity from the waste, for selling to the National Grid.

The amount of electricity created could power up to 15,000 homes across the UK.

Project Director, Richard Belfield said: “Lincolnshire is already a national leader when it comes to dealing with our waste, being amongst the country’s best performers.

“Today’s landmark announcement means we will soon benefit from a first-class, low-cost facility to treat our non-recyclable waste more effectively whilst generating much-needed electricity.

“This safe, clean facility will be something for the county to be proud of.”

Executive Member for Waste Services Lewis Strang said: “After four years of hard work I am delighted to announce we have appointed WRG to design, build and operate Lincolnshire’s purpose-built Energy from Waste facility in North Hykeham.

“This plant […] will also present us with the exciting potential to provide heating for new local homes and businesses, thus providing much-needed employment opportunities to many over the years following its commissioning in 2013.

“Even without the benefits of the energy from the waste, the financial benefits to the authority amounts to tens of millions of pounds over the life of the project in avoidance of spiralling landfill taxation.”

Waste management company WRG gained control of the project after becoming the winning bidder at an auction for the building by the county council.

They are part of environmental service group the FCC and own facilities in Kent and Nottinghamshire.

Director of Projects at WRG John Plant said: “WRG […] are very pleased that, after a long and rigorous selection process, the county council has chosen our bid as the most robust EfW solution.

“We are fully committed to working with the people of Lincolnshire to ensure that the EfW plant will be a valuable community asset and educational facility.

“We will continue to work with the Community Liaison Group to provide representatives of the community with the opportunity to scrutinise both the construction phase of the plant and, later, its day-to-day operations.”