New incinerator which will deal with healthcare and hazardous waste approved despite concerns over odours
A new Belfast waste incinerator which will be the only one in Ireland to deal with healthcare and hazardous waste while also generating renewable energy has been approved despite concerns over odours.
At the January Belfast City Council Planning Committee meeting elected representatives unanimously approved the proposed change of use and redevelopment of the existing waste management facility and adjoining plant hire business at Duncrue Pass.
The developer is United Energy Waste Management Ltd, of Enterprise Road, Bangor. The waste it will deal with includes healthcare waste from hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, care homes, as well as veterinary and sanitary waste. It also includes “hazardous waste” from industrial and commercial processes, laboratories and government controlled sources such as confiscated alcohol, drugs and tobacco.
The site is within the Belfast Harbour Estate. The developer states there are no proposals to import waste. The proposed facility can generate up to 10 megawatts in heat, which could convert to one to two megawatts electricity.
A council report states: “Three feedback forms were received, two in favour of the proposal and one objecting, advocating a public park instead. There were concerns about odour emissions.”
Alliance Councillor David Bell said: “It appears to be buried within an industrial site, but right beside the front door of that site runs a cycle lane which goes from Belfast to Carrickfergus, which I have used several times.
“You become aware of that site before you see it, because it stinks. You are aware you are passing a site that is processing waste. So I would be concerned for people using the cycle path.”
A representative for the developer said: “The difference between that, and what we are currently proposing is that this will be a closed facility. All of the waste brought into this facility will not only be brought in sealed bags from the hospitals, veterinarians, care homes, but also in sealed waste bins. It will be stored in a chilled area, and the bins will be directly loaded into the incineration plant.”
Another representative for the developer, who completed an air quality impact assessment on the application, told councillors: “I don’t disagree that the current waste disposal system, which is a very open air treatment, would likely generate a potential odour. In comparison, this proposal would be a very modern waste management facility, a brand new building which will be built to relevant technical specifications to ensure that everything is wholly contained within that building.
“It will have a series of mitigation measures which will be incorporated into the design of the building, such as fast-action roller-shutter doors, which will prevent any potential odour to be released from the building. The operation of the incineration process runs following an induced draft fan, in essence that pulls air through the combustion process.”