Plans for carbon capture facility at incinerator

Rookery South Limited is seeking to build a new carbon capture facility on land adjoining the current Rookery South incinerator

A consultation will begin this month over plans to build a new carbon capture facility next to an existing incinerator.

Encyclis, formerly known as Covanta, hoped to construct it on the Rookery South pit in Stewartby, Bedfordshire.

The incinerator began operating in January 2022 and was strongly opposed by villagers and the campaign group, Bedfordshire Against Covanta Incinerator.

Encyclis said it was making significant commitments to tackle climate change and the development was an important step towards its transition to net zero.

• What is carbobn capture and how does it fight climate change?

Encyclis said its objective was for the proposed facility to capture the CO2 emissions from the treatment of waste.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said they would then be transferred to a carbon capture and storage core network pipeline, proposed by the National Infrastructure Commission.

The company explained on its website: "Rookery South Limited is seeking to build a new carbon capture facility on land adjoining our current Rookery South energy recovery unit at Stewartby.

"Building our proposed carbon capture structure is an important step towards our transition to net zero.

"We're aiming to make all our operating processes 100% circular by 2030, so that every possible resource is recovered from the residual waste we receive. Carbon capture is designed to prevent carbon dioxide from industrial processes being released into the atmosphere."

Public consultations on plans for the large complex have been scheduled at the incinerator visitors' centre for Thursday, 21 November and Saturday, 23 November.

Feedback will inform the final design and the business said it aimed to submit a planning application early next year.