| 29 June 2005 |
Communications Team
Town Hall
Peterborough
PE1 1HG
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Telephone: 01733 452304
Facsimile: 01733 452369
Our Ref: 05/06/ML
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Meetings called over resource recycling plant plans
Local residents will be able to quiz the people behind a
proposed £250 million Sustainable Resource Recycling plant at
two public meetings being arranged by Peterborough City Council in
July.
The first meeting will be held at the John Clare Theatre in
Central Library, Broadway, Peterborough, on Wednesday 13 July and
the second will be at Peterborough Town Hall Council Chamber on
Monday 25 July. Both meetings will begin at 7 pm and last up
to two hours.
Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd (PREL) submitted its
proposals for the 11.7 hectare (29 acre) site off Storeys Bar Road,
Peterborough, to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on 20
May. Since then the plans have been available for public
inspection at city council offices and are now available on the
council's website.
Council Leader Councillor Ben Franklin said: "As the
proposed PREL waste-to-energy development is an electricity
generating plant with a proposed output of more than 50 Megawatts,
the application will be determined under the Electricity Act by the
Secretary of State for Energy. This is a different process
from handling normal planning applications.
"Peterborough City Council is one of several consultees that
will be making comments on the application to the Department of
Trade and Industry. However, this proposed development has
generated such high levels of interest that the council has
arranged these meetings to give local people an opportunity to hear
more about it from the people behind the proposal."
Council officers will attend the meetings and will be able to
answer questions on the application process.
Council officers are currently evaluating all aspects of the
proposals, including the proposed development's likely impact on
the environment (including anticipated traffic flows), and its
conformity with planning policy. They will compile a report
that will be submitted to councillors before the council's views
are presented to the DTI.
The city council has a four-month period from the date that
the plans were submitted in which to make its comments to the
DTI. However, there is a provision for the deadline to be
extended if further essential information is required from the
applicants.
Notes to editors:
- The plans have been submitted by Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd (PREL), which describes the proposed plant as a Sustainable Resource Recycling Facility. PREL has entered into an agreement with Global Olivine (GO), an international waste management company, which would build and operate the power plant.
- The company estimates that the plant could handle more than one million tonnes of waste annually and generate an average output of 126MW of electricity through the burning of waste using a clean enhanced gasification process. This process involves burning wastes and biomass at very high temperatures in an oxygen deficient environment followed by enhanced plasma vitrification and recovery at between 3000Ú and 6000 ÚC
- It claims that the resultant by-products of the gasification process, including glass, metals and aggregates, will all be recycled within the development with no requirement for landfill of any residual waste. Although various components of the process are already in operation in other countries, the proposed Peterborough plant would be the first of its kind anywhere in the world. More information about the proposals can be found at www.prel-online.co.uk
- In February 2005 the Environment Agency issued a permit, including a number of conditions, following the determination of an application from Global Olivine under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Regulations. This effectively indicates that the Environment Agency is satisfied that the plant can be operated safely and without significant adverse impacts on the environment and public health. Any media enquiries on this matter should be directed to the Environment Agency Press Office (Telephone 01733 464357).
Ends.
Media Contact: Mike Lennox, Media Relations Manager on (01733)
452304.