300 construction jobs to be created with North East councils' £2.1bn energy recovery facility

Councils across the North East have announced that they are joining forces for a £2.1bn project that could create 300 construction jobs.

Five Tees Valley borough authorities – Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton - Durham County Council and Newcastle City Council want to build a new “Energy Recovery Facility” in the region.

The project could see 450,000 tonnes of waste a year being used to generate electricity, and potentially heating nearby homes and businesses.

It is hoped to have a construction partner in place by December 2021, with the facility up and running by 1 April 2026, creating 40 permanent positions.

A spokesperson 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.

“We know that the volume of non-recyclable material we have to deal with is only likely to increase as our population and household numbers grow.

“The government is also expected to widen the definition of municipal waste to include similar commercial and industrial leftovers.

“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 commercial opportunity this proposed plant also presents could mean that we can generate significant income, thereby offsetting costs for the taxpayer.”