P/2002/ 23 May 2002
GOVERNMENT REFUSES CONSENT TO EXTENSION OF THE
EDMONTON ENERGY FROM WASTE POWER STATION
Brian Wilson, Energy Minister, today
announced that he had turned down an application to extend the existing 55 MW
energy-from-waste power station at Edmonton, North London.
Mr Wilson said granting consent would be
contrary to the Government’s waste strategy policy as set out in “Waste
Strategy 2000”.
In a Written Answer to a Parliamentary
Question from Lindsay Hoyle MP, Mr Wilson said:
“I have today decided that consent under
section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to London Waste Ltd’s application cannot
be given. The extension would have an
annual throughput of waste of around 285,000 tonnes over and above the existing
station’s capacity of 550,000 tonnes per annum.
“In deciding not to grant consent I have
taken into account the hierarchy for the treatment of waste set out in the
Government’s Waste Strategy 2000. Our
policy is that waste should be minimised and recycling and composting
undertaken before energy from waste is considered. I have considered all the information placed before me, both for
and against the extension, and have concluded that the existing station is
large enough to deal with the North London Waste Authority’s(NLWA) residual
waste after recycling. To grant consent
for the extension would result in a station with an overall capacity capable of
handling all of NLWA’s municipal waste and could mean that the NLWA had little
incentive to do more recycling over and above the minimum required by
statute. Also should the NLWA meet or
better its recycling targets then this would lead to a shortfall in the waste
stream for the extended station and could lead to waste being imported from
other areas which would be contrary to the Proximity Principal whereby waste
should be treated as near to its origin as possible.
“I have also considered the measures the
applicant has undertaken to incorporate at the Edmonton site to encourage
recycling, composting and using heat for local district heating schemes. While
these measures are to be welcomed I am aware that previous ones of a similar
type on the site have been closed or not utilised. I am of the opinion that at the present time they are not
sufficient to justify granting consent to the extension. Indeed should such measures prove successful
then there would appear to me to be less justification for the need for the
extension.
“In refusing consent I should make it
clear that the Government is not against energy- from-waste stations where they
are clearly required and properly sized.
The requirement of our policy is that statutory recycling targets must
be met and that no incineration proposal shall be permitted which will pre-empt
recycling or reduce the option for recycling for the future.”
Notes for
Editors:
1. The
consent to build, extend and operate power stations is required under Section
36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Planning permission has been deemed to be granted under Section 90(2) of
the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
2. Waste
Strategy 2000: England and Wales May 2000, ISBN 0 10 146932 2 (Part One) and
ISBN 0 10 146933 0 (Part Two).
Available from the Stationary Office, tel. 0845 7023474.
3. Press
copies of the decision letter are available from Tino Hernandez, DTI Press
Office, tel. 020-7215 6407. Public
copies of the Section 36 consent are available from Walter Gusmag, Energy
Policy and Consents, tel. 020-7215 2727.
Further information on the project is available from David Sargent,
London Waste Ltd, tel 020 8803 1322.
Press
Enquiries: 0207-215 6407/ 5976
(Out of
Hours: 0207-215 3234/3505)
Public
Enquires: 0207-215 5000
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Enquiries textphone (for people with hearing impairments): 0207-215 6740