Giant food waste recycling plant planned for city site

A RECYCLING plant which would turn tens of thousands of tonnes of household waste into compost is being planned for the Capital.

Up to 40,000 tonnes of the city's food waste would be treated at the Newbridge site every year under plans drawn up by South Lanarkshire firm Muirhall Energy.

The plant would use anaerobic digestion techniques, where micro-organisms break down the waste, creating compost and biogas which can power "green" cars and generate electricity.

The recycling firm has submitted a pre-application notice to the council outlining the basic details of its plans for an industrial unit at the Clifton Trading Estate, on Claylands Road.

It says that the waste will be treated in sealed units which will ensure neighbours are not bothered by escaping smells.

The company hopes to begin construction by the summer of 2011.

However, it stressed that it would be working with the council and local community to draw up its final designs, which will need the approval of the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency as well as city planners.

Chris Walker, the director of Muirhall Energy, said: "Edinburgh is short of recycling facilities for food waste, and European legislation is pushing councils to do more in this area, which is why we are looking to develop the plant here.

"This is a process which is widely used across Europe – there are 4000 such plants in Germany – but you could count on one hand the number that currently exist in Scotland.

"A lot of that can be down to a negative perception of the impact these facilities can have.

"We are very conscious of that, and will be holding a three-month public consultation to discuss any concerns, and draw up plans so that the final design will be acceptable to the local community, businesses and the council."

He added: "The benefits from this kind of design can be substantial, as it takes a lot of waste away from landfills and produces a biofuel which has a huge range of uses."

Edinburgh and Midlothian councils are also looking to develop an anaerobic digestion facility, as part of a huge recycling centre proposed for the former railyard at Millerhill, Midlothian.

The site is to be bought by the two local authorities at a cost of 2 million to enable the project to move forward.

The scheme is likely to cost up to half a billion pounds over the next 25 to 30 years, with the plant built and run by a private company.

Local councillor George Grubb said: "Minimising the amount of waste sent needlessly to landfill is a key priority of this administration.

"We will have to make sure any developments are balanced with the needs of the local community."