Energy-from-waste plant set for construction

A plant that uses waste to generate energy, cuts transport emissions and could provide the local area with heating has received funds to start construction.

Cory Environmental has found the £570 million necessary to start building the Riverside Resource Recovery facility in Belvedere, south London.

Full construction work could begin in August with energy-from-waste specialists hoping to complete it by 2010.

Cory has struck a deal with Western Riverside Waste Authority for an average of 585,000 tonnes of waste a year over the 30-year lifespan of the plant.

It will use "moving grate" technology with 27 per cent thermal efficiency to produce up to 72MW of power – enough for 66,000 homes.

And Cory claims that delivering the waste by river will save more than 1.3 million heavy goods vehicle miles every year.

The plant's waste energy could also be used to establish a district heating network for the local area.

Consultants PB power have been looking for a market for the waste energy and although the density of homes is "substantially lower" than is typical for district heating networks, it claims it is still "technically feasible", though difficult.