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Plans that were submitted on Friday 30th January propose building energy-from-waste plant with a capacity of 65,000 tonnes per year on the site of the city council's existing materials recycling facitlity in Fourth Drove, Fengate.  The plant would produce both electricity and hot water using non-recycled household as waste fuel.

Under plans submitted at the end of December, a new materials recycling facility would first be developed in an existing factory on an adjoining site in Fengate.  Later this year a further planning application will be submitted for facilities that would process kitchen food waste to produce electricity and high-value compost.

All three proposals support a waste strategy - agreed by the city council in February 2007 - to reduce the environmental damage caused when waste is buried in landfill sites.

Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, cabinet member for the environment, said:
"Landfill sites release massive amounts of global warming gases and European Union and UK laws mean we must take urgent action to end our reliance on landfill or household waste disposal.

"This integrated waste and recycling strategy supports Peterborough's Environment Capital bid and will strengthen the city's leading reputation in the recycling and waste management sector.

"Recovering energy from waste was a priority identified during wide-ranging public discussions and investigations by a cross-party group of city councillors into the best options for Peterborough.

"Environmental and government experts confirm that energy-from-waste is a reliable process that is strictly managed.

"While other organisations have announced their own plans for alternative recycling and waste disposal facilities, we need to press ahead with our own planning applications to ensure we have workable solutions for the future disposal of municiple waste."

The planning application is supported by an environmental impact assessment and an environmental statement.  A seperate application for an environmental permit is also being made to the Environment Agency.

The city council aims to recycle and compost 65 percent of household and garden materials by 2020.