Energy from Waste planning application gets conditional approval

06 October 2016

Aberdeen City Council today (Thursday 6 October) voted by 24 votes to 13 to conditionally approve the planning application for a £150 million Energy from Waste facility in East Tullos.

The 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.

Councillor Ramsay Milne, Aberdeen City Council Planning Development Management Committee convener, said: “We are delighted that this essential facility has been given the necessary planning go ahead which will allow us to meet our statutory obligations as well as contribute to our zero waste ambitions

“We listened carefully to the concerns raised very cogently by South of the Dee community councils and other members of the local communities. However, the Energy from Waste facility is underpinned by proven and safe technology and has the potential to provide renewable energy to heat homes, businesses and public buildings, helping address fuel poverty and provide jobs in the area.

“The partnership model we have proposed will also mean significant savings in terms of investment in the facility, ensuring that the people of Aberdeen get best value for money”.

The decision to approve the project follows a lengthy period of public engagement which included public events, stakeholder groups and a public hearing on 24 August this year.

In addition to the 20 staff who will eventually manage the facility when it goes live in 2021, the site construction will employ around 200 workers.

Construction on the site is scheduled to begin in January 2019 and will mirror similar projects in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.