Hundreds of jobs will be created with the construction of a multi-million pound replacement for the Baldovie incinerator in Dundee.
Waste from Angus and Dundee City councils will be transported to the plant to be transferred into energy for the Michelin tyre factory, with the remainder piped into homes in nearby residential areas.
The £100 million project will secure 37 jobs at the existing centre on Forties Road and has the potential to create more than 300 in the construction phase.
Bosses say the site will have the capacity to convert all of the residual waste produced in the Dundee and Angus council areas into energy – an estimated 110,000 tonnes per year.
Energy company MVV will build the new facility, which will take three years to complete.
Michelin factory manager John Reid said: “This is welcome news on an important and innovative project in which we are a key partner. Once complete the factory will utilise steam and electricity from the incinerator, and reduce CO2 emissions by around 90%.
“There will also be reductions in the cost of energy consumed by the factory to help lower operating costs.”
Mr Reid said the factory currently produced 25% of the site’s electricity from two wind turbines, which were installed in 2006.
“At the time Dundee was the only Michelin factory in the world to embrace wind power, demonstrating the factory’s commitment to pursuing sustainability in manufacturing,” he added.
“The reduction of our impact on the environment is a key policy as is our commitment to local communities and this project delivers on both strands. It’s good for Dundee’s economy and it’s good for the environment.”
Dundee City Council’s neighbourhood services convener, Councillor Kevin Cordell, said: “As we move toward meeting new targets, a much more environmentally-friendly method of dealing with waste was vital for both the city and Angus.
“This is an exciting development for the local area and one which will be of value for many years to come.”
Angus Council’s Leader Councillor Bob Myles said: “This project has taken some five years of hard partnership work and has reached a successful conclusion.
“Being in a position where we, Dundee and Angus Councils, are meeting our targets of no residual waste going to landfill, in advance of the 2020 target, shows our commitment to the environment and to making best use of waste material and good partnership working.”
