Green Power Station Will Turn Waste into Electricity

Green Power Station Will Turn Waste into Electricity

Aug 13 - Northern Echo

LAND in the region has been earmarked for an environmentally friendly power plant that will turn household waste into electricity.

Engineering services company Amec is building a series of power plants in partnership with Compact Power, of Bristol.

Staff at Amec, in Darlington, are working on the design, engineering and construction of the 20m power plants, the first of which will be in Dumfries, Scotland, and will convert household waste into power for industry.

A spokesman for Compact Power said last night that the company had the option of some land at Philadelphia, near Houghton-le- Spring, Wearside.

Amec and Compact Power have signed a five-year alliance on the project.

Compact Power invented technology that would heat up, rather than burn, household waste, destroying pollutants in the process.

The company has a plant near Bristol which processes clinical waste, but hopes its alliance with Amec will add more credibility to the projects, leading to "green" power plants across the UK.

A spokesman for Compact Power said: "We are interested in building a plant in the North-East. We have an option on some land at Philadelphia and could build there at some point, but at the moment, it is not a high priority project.

"The fact that Amec has linked up with us is a big vote of confidence for our project, because it is a world-class engineering company.

"They are not going to put their name to something which doesn't meet with their high standards."

Compact's plants have been given approval, and are monitored by, the Environment Agency.

In the long-term, the power plants could help local authorities meet stringent Government targets, which aim to reduce the amount of waste going in to landfill sites.

Plants will vary in size, depending on local requirements, ranging between 15 and 25m in value.

The Dumfries plant has been granted planning permission and is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

Steve Lee, managing director of Amec's industrial division, said: "Sustainable development is important to Amec and we are delighted to be working with Compact Power on this innovative programme."

"Two environmental problems can be overcome with this one cost- effective solution.

"Using waste to produce electricity will ease the burden on other energy sources and reduce the amount of material going into landfill sites."

For far more extensive news on the energy/power visit: http://www.energycentral.com .