The deadline for a decision on plans for a £250 million sustainable resource recycling plant in Peterborough may be postponed because Peterborough City Council needs more information on the proposals.

 

City Council officials have informed the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) that additional clarification is necessary before the council can submit its comments on the proposals.  This may mean that the original four-month deadline for the council's comments, which expires on 20 September, will need to be extended.

 

Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd (PREL) submitted plans to the DTI on 20 May for an incineration, electricity generation and materials recycling plant on an 11.7 hectare (29 acre) site off Storeys Bar Road, Peterborough.

 

The proposed plant, which would be built and operated by Global Olivine, would be capable of processing more than one million tonnes of waste annually and generating an average of 126 megawatts of electricity through the burning of waste.  The Electricity Act dictates that, as a public utility, a decision on the proposed development must be taken by the Secretary of State for Energy.  The city council, therefore, can only submit comments to the Secretary of State.

 

Trevor Gibson, the city council's Director of Environmental Services, said:  "Our officers have been busy evaluating all aspects of the plans and co-ordinating opinions from relevant agencies.  At this stage we require additional information on several aspects, including traffic, archaeology, ecology, landscape and flood risk assessments."

 

"Because of the delay that publicising and considering this additional information will create, we will ask the DTI for an extension of our publicity and re-consultation deadline."

 

Council officers are also planning to discuss the proposals at a round-table meeting with other consultees, such as the Environment Agency, plus other strategic partners, such as the Primary Care Partnership and Health Protection Agency.

 

Legislation governing this application requires that the city council as a consultee should make its final submission to the DTI through the Cabinet.  However, to ensure that the public and all members of the council can participate in the decision-making process, there will also be debates at the Planning and Environmental Protection Committee and the Full Council before the Cabinet submits its response to the DTI.

 

Media Contact: Mike Lennox, Media Relations Manager on (01733) 452304.

 

1. 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.
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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).