Waste plant gets go-ahead

Plans to build one of the UK’s largest energy from waste facilities at Teesside have moved a step closer after Air Products secured planning permission for the project.

The 49MW plant will use advanced gasification technology to convert about 300,000t of pre-processed household and commercial waste currently going into landfill into electricity for up to 50,000 homes.

Work on site could start next year, with commercial operations starting in 2014, subject to financing and environmental permitting consent from the Environment Agency.

Air Products said it hoped to build up to five advanced gasification plants in the UK in the coming years with the potential to generate around 250MW of electricity.