£70 million recycling facility near Bathgate set to supply 7,000 homes

The 70 million facility, which has been earmarked for a site in Bathgate, will have the capacity to process all of West Lothian's commercial, industrial and residential waste.

The plant – which its developers say will be the largest of its kind in Scotland – will be able to produce power using the gases given off during the decomposition of the waste at the site.

It is one of a number of such plants currently in the pipeline at various sites across the Lothians in an attempt to cut the amount of waste being sent to landfill, while at the same time producing more renewable energy.

West Lothian Council is currently developing plans for its own site in Livingston, which the council hopes will be up and running by late 2011. Both Edinburgh City Council and Midlothian Council have lodged plans for an incinerator which would heat homes by burning rubbish.

Strict environmental targets mean councils must be recycling 40 per cent of their waste by the end of 2010.

The Bathgate facility, which uses the process of anaerobic digestion, is being developed by Hamilton-based Banks Developments in partnership with West Lothian firm Scotwaste.

Planning permission for the facility was granted last week.

Colin Anderson, managing director of Banks Property Development, said: "This decision is a landmark in the drive to deliver Scotland's zero waste strategy. Pond Green Energy Park provides West Lothian and the wider central belt with a local solution to its own waste, as well as delivering renewable energy."

The firm said the plant would be capable of handling around 105,000 tonnes of waste every year, with the wider facility, including a significant expansion of the existing Scotwaste recycling operations, expected to process a further 95,000 tonnes.

At full capacity, the plant will provide enough electricity to power over 7,000 homes and enough heat to serve the equivalent of over 9,000 homes.

Planning approval for the site follows more than two years of local consultation about the plans.

However, it is understood West Lothian council plans to use its own facility for residential waste, with the Bathgate site likely to win its business from private firms.

WHAT IT IS AND HOW IT WORKS

ANAEROBIC digestion is the natural breakdown of waste by bacteria.

The gas produced, a mixture of carbon dioxide and methane, can be used as a renewable energy source by helping to generate electricity.

After removing the carbon dioxide, the gas becomes renewable natural gas or biomethane, which can be used for heating or vehicle fuel.