Plans for plastic-to-hydrogen plant in Clydebank dropped

The facility was to be located at Rothesay Dock in West Dunbartonshire

Plans for a £20m facility in Clydebank to turn plastic waste into hydrogen have been dropped.

Peel NRE were given the green light to build an incinerator at Rothesay Dock by West Dunbartonshire Council in June.

But the company confirmed on Thursday that it had withdrawn its application.

Peel said a moratorium on the building of new waste-to-energy incinerators announced by the Scottish government in June was "one of the key drivers" behind its decision.

• Green light for £21m Scottish plastic-to-hydrogen plant

• Moratorium on waste-to-energy incinerators

Peel NRE development director Richard Barker said: "The current moratorium on thermal treatment facilities in Scotland creates a negative environment that risks stifling this innovation in the sustainable management of waste and was one of the key drivers in our decision to withdraw the application.

"Our plans for North Clyde would have provided much needed infrastructure for processing plastics that can't be recycled, creating a local source of hydrogen that could be used as an alternative clean fuel for HGVs, buses and cars.

"This could have helped contribute to the Scottish government's mission to decarbonise our communities and economies to reach net zero."

'Significant win'

The Scottish Greens said the decision to axe plans for the incinerator was "proof that new planning rules are helping deliver Scotland's climate ambitions".

West Scotland MSP Ross Greer said it was "a significant win for the local community".

He added: "It is also proof that the Scottish government's new policy of not supporting new incinerators, delivered by the Scottish Greens, is already having a positive impact on our climate.

"This application was the first test of the new policy, and it's clear that the message is clearly getting through already - Scotland does not need more incinerators.

"I hope that other companies take note."