Firm Powers Ahead With ‘Green’ Plant Plan

Plans for a pounds50million “green” power plant proposed for the north-east will be submitted within weeks, officials said last night.

Buchan CHP (combined heat and power) aims to build a waste-to- energy plant at Peterhead to generate heat and electricity by incinerating household and industrial rubbish that cannot be recycled.

It is estimated the plant would be able to take almost half the 262,500 tonnes of waste that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire send to landfill each year, using the energy to heat and power 10,000 homes and businesses.

The company held a public consultation last month and said it would “refine” the plans in response to any concerns from locals.

A spokeswoman for the firm said the plans should be submitted to Aberdeenshire Council by March 18.

The waste would be burned at the Upperton industrial estate, on the edge of Peterhead, and the heat created in the process would be used to power a turbine to generate electricity. The plant would also push heat through a boiler, which would feed hot water directly to homes and businesses.

Local MSP Stewart Stevenson is optimistic the scheme can enhance Peterhead, but has said the environmental benefits of the plant would have to be demonstrated.

Green MSP Robin Harper claims waste-to-energy proposals are old incinerator schemes being “rebadged” to make them look sustainable.

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