Planning permission sought for waste to energy incinerator

Planning permission was sought today for an incinerator on Dublin’s Poolbeg Peninsula designed to provide electricity for 50,000 homes and heat 60,000 houses.

Dublin City Council confirmed it had applied on behalf of four local authorities for permission to provide a waste to energy facility to treat up to 600,000 tonnes of waste a year.

The waste plan for the region aims to recycle 59% of the area’s waste and to landfill just 16% by 2013. The remaining 25% of waste would be thermally treated through incineration.

“By diverting 600,000 tonnes of waste per annum away from landfill about eight acres of valuable land per annum will be available for other purposes,” Matt Twomey, assistant city manager, Dublin City Council, said.

“Waste to energy incinerators operated to strict EU requirements are proven to be safe, tried and tested, are in operation across Europe including most capital cities and are associated with high rates of recycling.”

Residents of Ringsend, Sandymount and Irishtown have been holding protests over the last number of months against the siting of the incinerator on the 5.5 hectare/13.6 acre site on Poolbeg Peninsula in Dublin 4.

Rory Hearne from the People before Profit Alliance said: “People working and living in the area will continue to campaign against this incinerator on grounds of health fears and traffic and environmental concerns.”

The council said a traffic impact analysis had shown the proposed development would not generate significant traffic on either the local or strategic road network.

But it confirmed there will be 121 trucks coming to and from the plant on a daily basis.

Waste from a nearby defined catchment area will be delivered directly to the plant in refuse collection vehicles and the remainder will come from licensed transfer stations located at Ballyogan, Ballymount and Kilshane Cross.

The full Environmental Impact Statement will go on display from Monday next in the four local authorities, and Dublin City Council’s offices.

Mr Hearne claimed the incinerator would be developed as a public private partnership between the council and another company.

“So the people of Dublin will get all the potential health hazards of the incinerator plus on top of that new charges that will pay for the profits for the private operator. Now it should be clear to people across Dublin that the incinerator is not just a Ringsend or Sandymount issue but one that will at some point impact on everyone in Dublin through either dioxins in the wind, incinerator charges or traffic,” Mr Hearne said.

The council has confirmed a Danish firm, Elsam, will build and operate the waste to energy plant.

The campaigners said it would be more appropriate for the land on the peninsula to be developed into a nature park with light-impact community recreation facilities and limited housing.

The plans for the proposed incinerator indicate through thermal treatment for household and non-hazardous commercial waste it will provide enough electricity for 50,000 homes approximately or equivalent and district heating for the equivalent of further 60,000 homes.

The council confirmed it was applying to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a Waste Licence and to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) for permission to provide and supply energy to the national grid.

If the necessary statutory approvals are received, the council said it would establish a lump sum Community Gain Fund of eight million euro to finance facilities or services to benefit the community near the peninsula. An annual fund of €250,000 will also be set up.

The council said it would refurbish and redevelop the Pigeon House Power Station, Pigeon House Hotel and adjoining site of around five acres in partnership with the local community.