A local government body is to press ahead with plans for a waste incinerator that produces power, despite a rebuff from Belfast City Council. The council had voted against its land at Belfast Lough's north foreshore being made available for the facility, however they backed a mechanical and biological treatment plant being built on the site.
Arc 21, an umbrella waste management group for 11 councils in eastern Northern Ireland said it was still committed to the plan and would seek another site for the incinerator which could provide power equivalent to that used by 40,000 homes. A public consultation carried out by the council showed that the majority of respondents backed the plan, with the main opposition coming from the Shore Road area, near where it would have been built.
Arc 21 is working on a £1 billion project to deliver one energy from waste (EfW) plant and up to two mechanical biological treatment (MBT) facilities. The infrastructure will help councils meet EU landfill targets and deliver a more environmentally friendly approach to waste management. Ricky Burnett, their policy and operations director, said they had been encouraged by the support for the project. "Arc 21 will continue to implement its waste management plan which aims to encourage people to reduce waste in the first place and boost recycling rates to at least 50%. The decision by the city council enables us to move to the next stage in our procurement process. As planned, this will include a more definitive identification of the locations proposed for the new waste facilities later in the year."
If Arc 21 is awarded the contract, the energy produced could be used to support a number of commercial, industrial, sporting and civic projects and will help Northern Ireland meet its renewable energy targets.
