Press release - 19 Oct 2011
Gasification waste facility at Binn Farm given go-ahead
Plans for a gasification facility to treat and dispose of waste have been given the go-ahead by Perth and Kinross councillors.
Leading recycling and resource management company SITA UK welcomed the decision to allow the waste to energy plant to be built, which will divert waste from landfill and create enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 8,000 homes, at Binn Eco Innovation Park, near Glenfarg.
The company proposes to treat 60,000 tonnes of municipal waste per year in the new facility, along with a small amount of business waste. As part of the process, metals will be removed and recycled.
SITA UK must now apply to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) for a licence to operate the gasification facility before development can begin.
The facility will create 20 to 25 permanent full-time jobs and construction opportunities, both of which will boost the local economy.
The proposal forms part of wider plans to develop the Binn Eco Innovation Park. Led by Binn Skips Ltd, it is hoped that other sustainable waste treatment facilities and clean technology businesses will also be established on the site.
Martin Cracknell, Strategic Development Manager for SITA UK, said the newly-approved gasification facility would replace plans for an energy from waste incineration facility at the site, which was granted permission by Perth and Kinross Council in September 2007.
“We very much welcome the decision taken by Perth and Kinross Council in granting permission for the gasification facility, and thank those people who engaged with us during the past two years as we worked to develop the proposal,” said Martin.
“There is a real need for new waste management facilities and I believe that the proposals contained in our planning application can meet the needs of the Perth and Kinross area, while also meeting the impending challenges of the Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan.
“Gasification is emerging as an effective way to manage waste at a community scale, recovering energy from residual waste that would traditionally have been landfilled and helping to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.”
