According to the company, the facility would save 65,000 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, compared with sending the waste to landfill, and forms part of an overall strategy in the area to recycle more and recover more energy from waste.
The planning application is for a ‘state-of-the-art advanced technology’, which will utilise non-recyclable ‘residual’ waste to produce power for the National Grid.
The facility will provide electricity for 75,000 Hampshire homes and create over 300 jobs during construction, plus 40 permanent roles once operational. Continuously monitored by the Environment Agency, the 30 Megawatt plant is sized for residual Hampshire waste that is currently landfilled in the county, or exported elsewhere, it adds.
Application submission follows a period of extensive pre-application public consultation, which was undertaken between February and March 2020, before the current social distancing measures were introduced. Veolia says that it has listened carefully to the feedback and concerns and has provided a full response to the questions submitted within the Statement of Community Involvement submitted alongside the planning application. Several changes have also been made to the architecture taking into account local views on the appearance of the facility.
Richard Kirkman, chief technology and innovation officer at Veolia UK and Ireland, says: "This facility will allow Hampshire to lead the way in waste management, saving 65,000 tonnes of carbon emissions compared to landfill and delivering a 30% increase in energy efficiency.
“In terms of a green recovery this represents an important investment in new clean infrastructure that will contribute towards reaching the carbon net zero target as well as providing new construction jobs and permanent local employment.”
With the Alton and Portsmouth materials recycling facilities being considered for replacement, a new combined recycling facility is also being planned. Veolia says that a new ‘hi-tech recycling plant’ would provide improved recycling, allowing Hampshire residents to recycle plastic pots, tubs and trays.