Sludge power plant plans in Lincolnshire approved
- Published
Plans for an electricity plant powered by sewage sludge and used timber have been approved in Lincolnshire.
Permission was granted for the plant, which will create electricity for more than 10,000 homes, at Riverside Industrial Estate in Boston.
Sewage sludge and waste timber are heated to produce a gas. This is combusted to generate steam which powers two turbines.
Owners The Alternative Use Group (AUG), said 27 jobs would be created.
Offensive smells
Members of Lincolnshire County Council's planning committee approved the plant by six votes to two on Monday.
Some concerns about odours and increased traffic were raised but a spokesman from AUG said offensive smells were already present from a nearby sewage treatment works and landfill site and roads to the plant would be improved.
The plant will make use of treated timber which cannot be recycled, such as telegraph poles. The ash produced from the process can be used to make construction material.
The spokesman added: "The Boston plant will demonstrate the environmental and technological superiority of this technology, hopefully paving the way towards a much greener future and more affordable electricity."