Controversial power plant approved for Runcorn

Sep 16 2008 by Liam Murphy, Liverpool Daily Post

INEOS Chlor Runcorn site, sign _320

A NEW power plant has been approved in Cheshire, the Government announced today.

The controversial plant at Runcorn will be fueled by waste and will have the capacity to potentially take this from Manchester, Merseyside, Halton, Cheshire and Warrington which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

The decision by Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks allows INEOS Chlor Ltd to construct an energy from waste combined heat and power (CHP) station with a capacity of 100 MW, at Runcorn, Cheshire.

He has also given deemed planning permission for the development.

Mr Wicks said: "It’s important that we move forward in tackling the UK’s waste problem.

"The proposed plant will make use of local waste for the production of energy rather than contributing to the UK’s landfill.

"While acknowledging that this proposal was controversial locally, this approval takes into account the concerns that were raised.

"The key concern of impact on public health will be properly addressed through planning conditions at the construction stage and when the station is operational, through the environmental permitting regime regulated by the Environment Agency."