Secretary of State Grants Planning Appeal to Viridor for Oxfordshire’s Energy Plant

Viridor (UK) welcomes the decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (CLG) to allow Viridor’s appeal against Oxfordshire County Council’s decision to refuse the company’s original planning application to build an Energy from Waste (EfW) plant and enhanced recycling facilities at its landfill site in Ardley, Oxfordshire.

The EfW facility will have a capacity to process 300,000 tonnes of residual, non-recyclable waste with substantial environmental benefits including the landfill diversion of up to 95 percent of waste delivered to the facility and the generation of up to 24MW of electricity to be supplied to the National Grid – contributing towards a more resource efficient Britain.

Speaking on behalf of Viridor, project manager Robert Ryan said: “The decision reflects the urgent need to provide a much needed alternative to landfill disposal. Our proposed state of the art development will provide a long-term solution to Oxfordshire’s residual waste treatment needs which is safe, robust and cost-effective.

“We will continue working with Oxfordshire County Council towards signing of the contract and look forward to starting preparation work to deliver a first class facility.”

Viridor’s EfW and recycling facilities will result in additional benefits for the local economy – particularly important in the current economic environment – including the creation of around 40 permanent jobs and many more during construction.

Energy from Waste is a well established technology which is safe, robust and cost-effective. There are already 429 EfW operational plants in Europe, providing effective diversion of waste from landfill and an alternative to fossil-fuel electricity generation.