North East councils propose joint Redcar rubbish-burning power station

The Energy Recovery Facility would be built on part of the former Redcar steelworks which closed in 2015

Seven councils have revealed plans for a joint waste centre which would burn 450,000 tonnes of rubbish a year and generate electricity.

The Energy Recovery Facility is proposed for a 25-acre part of the former Redcar steelworks site owned by the South Tees Development Corporation.

Waste would be taken from 1.5 million homes in Newcastle, Durham, Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland council areas.

They hope to have it open by 2026.

A spokesman for the project said: "While we would obviously urge everyone to recycle as much as possible, we appreciate that not all rubbish can be repurposed.

"By joining forces the seven councils can create a new facility using the latest technology, reducing the amount of waste that is sent to landfill, which is better for the environment."

The councils said by 2025 it is estimated they will collectively generate around 400,000 tonnes of rubbish.

An additional 50,000 tonnes of capacity could be offered to commercial waste disposal to bring in more income.

The plant would generate enough electricity to power 32,000 homes.

The councils said it would need an initial investment of £300m and would cost £2.1bn in total over 40 years.

They have launched a Europe-wide search for a contractor which they hope to have finalised by December 2021.

Construction would create more than 300 jobs and there would be 40 positions at the plant, which they hope have "up and running" by 1 April 2026.