Thainstone energy to waste plant model

Thainstone Waste-to-Energy Plant Gets Greenlight

Locogen are delighted that the Thainstone Energy Recovery Facility has been granted planning permission by Aberdeenshire Council.

The facility is part of the first phase of the Thainstone Energy Park at Inverurie, on the site of a former paper mill. The facility will collect around 200,000 tonnes of commercial and industrial waste, which cannot be recycled and would otherwise go to landfill. In the process, the plant will create around 30MW of electricity – enough to power 50,000 homes. The plant also has the potential to provide 80MW of heat – enough to heat around 30,000 homes and local businesses via a district heating network and heat batteries.

The plant’s innovative design is modelled on the profile of nearby Bennachie hill.

Locogen have been supporting Agile Energy by providing planning advice, and consultancy on the heat network element of the project.

The facility will create around 300 jobs during construction and 40 permanent posts when operational.

There will also be a positive financial impact, with £1million going to Aberdeenshire Council in business rates every year.

Scottish Government legislation states that disposing of biodegradable waste in landfill will be banned from 2025 but that still leaves around £1.2 million tonnes of residual waste, which will have to be somehow managed, landfilled or exported. The exporting of such has recently exposed questionable disposal operations in the receiving countries.

The Thainstone Waste-to-Energy plant will help to reduce these exports and more plants will be needed to end the practice.

Euan Hutchison

Locogen Consenting Director, Euan Hutchison

“We are delighted to have worked alongside the fantastic team at Agile Energy on this innovative project. The vision and commitment to developing a cutting-edge facility which delivers a wide range of benefits to the Aberdeenshire area has been evident from the outset. The same commitment to delivery was also reflected in the scrutiny and professionalism of all the stakeholders who were involved in the consenting process. We look forward to working with Agile in the future to help get this plant up and running.”

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