Delay to £150 million Aberdeen incinerator could have ‘serious impact on environment’

By Lottie Hood

October 30 2022, 4:38 pm

The £150 million project was due to start taking waste yesterday. Image: Kenny Elrick.

Aberdeen’s incinerator project at East Tullos Industrial Estate appears to have been delayed prompting environmental concerns.

The Ness incinerator run by Acciona, was contractually obliged to start taking waste from Saturday, October 29. However, it is still not up and running.

Set to burn 150,000 tonnes of household waste from Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils per year, it is unclear how this waste will now be dealt with.

Acciona have claimed factors like recruitment of suitably-trained staff, Covid, and impacts on the supply chain have caused delays to the £150 million project.

‘Risky technology unlikely to pay off’

Aiming to help lower emissions from the site, plans are also underway to retrofit the plant with expensive techno-fixes.

£10 million has been granted by the Scottish Government to help retrofit a heat network.

The incinerator is expected to manage 150,000 of household waste each year. Image: Kenny Elrick.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland, said the delay could have a massive impact on the local environment.

She said: “The delay to the Ness incinerator becoming operational means that waste isn’t going to be managed properly, which could have serious impacts on the environment.

“When the plant is up and running and the waste is burnt, emissions will be released into the atmosphere, reducing air quality for locals and contributing directly to the climate crisis.

“Acciona has gambled on risky, complex and costly technology to reduce pollution from the plant. This gamble is unlikely to pay off if Acciona cannot even get the basic incinerator running on time.

She added: “We need to see a much greater focus on reducing waste and recycling, and we must stop burning our valuable resources if we are to bring down the consumption levels that are wrecking the planet.”

An Aberdeen City Council Spokeswoman said: “The contingency delivery plan put in place by Acciona is to continue with the current arrangements that are already in place, with only the contractual relationship changing.

“Waste will continue to be deposited in the same way as it has been since the fire at Altens East Recycling Centre.”

Acciona has been contacted for a comment.