New power plant ‘would provide energy for homes, and jobs’
A new power plant in Powys would provide energy for 2,300 homes and create six new jobs, the developers have said.
Powys Environmental Ltd has applied for permission to build the plant at the site of the Y Ffaldau Waste Recycling Centre in Llandegley, near Llandrindod Wells – which would see 21,000 tons of rubbish a year being disposed of to create energy.
The firm says installing a combined heat and power plant system would aid the processing of recyclable materials from Powys County Council. This would be fuelled by burning rubbish and the developers claim this will ‘provide a green and renewable energy source, actively encouraged through government directives’.
The county council is expected to make a decision on the plans by the end of January 2024.
The dual purpose of the plant would mean that as well as a 4MW thermal output, there would also be a 2.5MW electrical output, for the business itself as well as supporting the national grid and local community with excess power.
Powys Environmental Ltd has argued that the emissions from the plant could be counterbalanced by a net zero carbon offset scheme and ensuring the facility adheres to Wales’ ‘One Planet Living’ strategy.
It says there would be minimal odour and disruption to the local area, as rubbish would be constantly fed into the system at 2.6 tonnes per hour and the facility would be fully enclosed within a steel portal framed and profile clad building, with lorry access via roller shutter doors, which will be closed after offloading.
The company says it expects the number of vehicles visiting the site to double, increasing from five up to 10 vehicle movements on site per day, each vehicle transporting 25 tonnes of recycled materials ready for sorting – equating to 21,000 tonnes annually.
It says the plans will have little effect on the local landscape as the existing industrial unit is fully enclosed by trees with a small pocket of woodland and agricultural fields.
