ENERGY FROM WASTE PLANT APPROVAL

Zyda Law is pleased to announce that Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks has approved a S36 Application for an Energy-from-Waste plant in Cheshire which will form the backbone of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority's £4.4 billion waste PFI contract with Viridor and Laing.

Zyda Law advised on the application process and EIA requirements associated with a S36 Consent and deemed planning permission granted to its client, INEOS Chlor Ltd, to construct a combined heat and power plant in Runcorn, which will be able to burn up to 850,000 tonnes of refuse derived fuel a year to produce up to 100MW of electricity and 360MW of heat annually, fulfilling up to 20% of the company's on-site power needs.

The plant will take solid recovered fuel from across the NW of England, including Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority and, will also have the capacity to potentially take material from Merseyside, Halton, Cheshire and Warrington.

Under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989, consent to build and operate a power station with a capacity greater than 50MW must be granted by the Secretary of State. As such, Ineos Chlor, assisted and advised by Zyda Law, applied for permission for the Runcorn site in January 2007.

Alongside section 36 consent, applicants may also request a deemed grant of planning permission, which has also been granted in this case.

Zyda Law is proud to boast its association with INEOS and its efforts made to secure the necessary statutory approvals.