Rubbish-burning incinerator could generate electricity for Barnstaple
A RUBBISH-BURNING energy plant will incinerate 50,000 tonnes of waste every year in Barnstaple town centre if a council masterplan is approved.
The £39.3 million energy-from-waste project in Seven Brethren would burn more than 90% of the household rubbish in North Devon and Torridge, and use the energy to supply heat and electricity to nearby buildings, including a new North Devon College and Tesco supermarket.
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Seven Brethren Bank Barnstaple
Similar schemes elsewhere, including in Exeter, have provoked controversy.
Opponents, such as Friends of the Earth, claim incinerators are bad for the environment because they release too much climate-damaging carbon dioxide.
Councils face urgent pressure to find alternative ways of dealing with household waste. Punishing EU landfill fines come in to force in 2010 and the burner supporters said the plant would cut CO2 emissions by reducing the need to produce energy elsewhere.
Devon County Council leader Brian Greenslade said: "We feel this is a viable way forward. The days of sending tonnes of waste to landfill are going.
"The happy by-product is that it's for an energy-from-waste plant and it could be used to power the new development. We are satisfied this is an environmentally-friendly way of dealing with a problem."
North Devon Council, which owns the site, is helping co-ordinate the Seven Brethren redevelopment, between the railway and the Taw. The councils will commission a flood study as a part of any plan.
The county council said a burner could handle 50,000 tonnes of waste a year. Last year, 53,464 tonnes of household waste was sent by lorry to Deepmoor landfill site near Torrington from North Devon and Torridge.
About 40% of rubbish is recycled in North Devon and 30% in Torridge. If approved, the plant could be opened in 2013.
North Devon Council deputy leader Des Brailey said: "We are taking a holistic view of the factors involved, including energy supply, transport and community needs.
"We still need everyone to make every effort to increase recycling and reduce our rubbish, but that will still leave 50,000 tonnes that will need treatment.
"Through this method we can gain energy in a clean and reliable way and help reduce our carbon footprint."
North Devon MP Nick Harvey is keeping an open mind about the plan.
The proposal will be debated by North Devon Council on Tuesday, November 11.
4 Comments
by Sandra, Lower Sticklepath, Barnstaple
Sunday, November 16 2008, 6:55PM
“I agree that location is a problem. This facility will be too close to residences, especially where I live. I suffer from COPD so what assurance will the Council give that emissions will not affect people with breathing disorders. Also Tesco should not benefit, Leisure centre and council vehicles yes, but if there is cheap fuel why can't local people use it?”
by Earl Bramley-Howard, Barnstaple, Devon
Tuesday, November 11 2008, 12:41PM
“What a mad scheme.
An incinerator is NOT the way forward.
It will lock the council into a contract to supply guaranteed amounts of 'fuel' or face fines, thus preventing growth in Recycling & preventing zero waste options from being addressed.
It also allows Tescos to 'benefit' from, instead of having to address the issues of over-packaging & cheap 'throw away' goods!
There are several other options on the table & this is not the best by a long shot, its the cheapest.
The best option for long-term waste management & Barnstaple & North Devon's environment as a whole, is "Mechanical separation & anaerobic digestion". This mechanically sorts waste into the various streams, once most of the recyclable materials have already been removed. It is then put through a 'digester' which creates bio-gas that can be burn off either to create electricity & hot water or converted to a fuel for council vehicles & public transport! This is a MUCH better option for an area that is trying to promote itself as a biosphere reserve simply because the methane that would usually just leech into the environment from landfill sites is 18 times more damaging to the environment than CO2. The residual amout of waste left over can be landfilled without exceeding the EC limits on biodegradable waste going to landfill. The EC directive is only about biodegradable waste! The best thing to do with bio-degradable waste is to bio-degrade it NOT burn it! Burning this sort of waste along with all the other residue, will dump lead, cadmium & other heavy metals into the atmosphere & totally unacceptable levels of Dioxins which are some of the most poisonous & toxic substances known to man.
This plan for an incinerator in a residential area like Barnstaple, simply shows the utter contempt these planners have for the environment and the health of the residents of Barnstaple & North Devon.
I hope people will write to their Councillors and object until this ill advised plan is dropped in favour of a truly environmentally friendly option!”
by barryfrombushey, barnstaple
Friday, November 07 2008, 5:30PM
“Obviously no point in a planning enquiry about Tescos then...... Another forgone conclusion ...... Ah the good old Masonic Lodges”
by Mark, Bideford
Thursday, November 06 2008, 1:53PM
“I believe an incinerator would be a useful addition to Torridge in terms of waste disposal, my only concern is the location. With the prevailing Westerly winds, the heavy metals and dioxins in the smoke emitted will be blown over parts of Rock Park, not ideal! So I say yes to the incinerator, no to the location. One last point, I think a target for recycling levels should be implemented and reached before the date of completion of the incinerator, therefore the waste that is burned will have a lower proportion of reclaimable materials. this would help to reduce the amount of landfill even further, which is one of the main points of its construction according to the council.”