Councillors have backed plans for a gasification scheme in rural Perthshire.
Although an energy from waste (EfW) plant at Binn Farm has already been given permission, site owners SITA UK have decided to adopt what they called ”cleaner” technology.
However, residents of Abernethy have failed to be convinced by the apparent benefits, which include up to 25 new jobs, and have continued to object to the proposals over concerns about odour and contamination risk.
Despite the fears, members of Perth and Kinross council’s development control committee gave their support to SITA UK at a meeting on Wednesday.
The firm’s planning manager, Anne-Marie Wilshaw, explained the reasons behind the switch from EfW to gasification.
”At the time of the previous application, we as a company had only considered grate facilities (where the waste is slowly propelled through the furnace by a moving mechanical grate), not gasification facilities,” she said.
”We weren’t, at the time, able to back any gasification technology but, since then, we have been looking into it.
”We now put our name to this type of technology and have developed it elsewhere in the country, namely in Surrey.
”I would say for SITA to actually put their name to that technology means we have every confidence in its safety and deliverability.”
While at 160.6m long, 89.8m wide and 20.8m in height, the plant will be a fraction of the size of the EfW one, it will still be able to process 60,000 tonnes of residual waste from Perth and Kinross each year.
There are still issues with what Ms Wilshaw called ”bottom ash residue”, however, as it can only be put to landfill at the moment and accounts for around 20% of what goes into gasification chamber.
She added: ”We would hope to be able to recycle this, but that depends on the market.”
Unconvinced by the presentation given by SITA UK, Michael Gallagher of Green Alternatives to Incineration in Scotland led an impassioned plea against the latest plans for Binn Farm.
Mr Gallagher who has set up a Facebook group (link) to oppose the plans told councillors about issues being faced by Dargavel, a similar facility in Dumfries and Galloway which he described as an ”environmental disaster”.
Although these concerns were taken into consideration by councillors, they indicated the premises would be strictly monitored by SEPA.