Aberdeen City council approves next stage of Energy from Waste facility development

24 October 2016

Aberdeen City Council today (Monday 24 October) approved proposals that set out the next steps for an Energy from Waste facility to be built in the city and provide low cost heating for the Torry area.

In a special meeting of the full Council, councillors agreed to enter into a second stage Inter-Authority Agreement with Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils relating to initial project and procurement development work for the facility.

A similar paper is being put to Moray Council’s Policy and Resources Committee tomorrow (Tuesday 25 October) and to Aberdeenshire Council’s Full Council Committee on Wednesday (26 October).

The £150 million facility, will help the city comply with national regulations which, from 1st January 2021, will ban Scottish councils from putting any biodegradable municipal waste into landfill. Currently, in the north east, more than half of household waste is sent to landfill.

Council Leader, Jenny Laing said: “We have listened to and noted the concerns of the local community councils and that is why we have instructed our Chief Executive, Angela Scott, to write to her counterparts at NHS Grampian, SEPA and Health Protection Scotland for their professional opinion on health and environmental issues associated with the facility. Their responses will be shared with the four community councils.

“I am delighted that the approval of today’s motion puts us into a position not only to enter into a next stage agreement with our partner councils but to deliver on our aspirations to provide low cost heating for the people of Torry.

“We cannot ignore our statutory responsibilities and the decision taken today is a further step in the right direction towards a Zero Waste Aberdeen. If we can do that in partnership it will mean that the financial burden on the city will be significantly reduced”.

Construction on the site is scheduled to begin in January 2019 and to go live in 2021. The facility will employ 20 people when it goes into operation and a further 200 workers during the construction stage.