Poolbeg incinerator case ‘damaged’ by new waste figures

Plans for the Poolbeg incinerator have been “further undermined” by the latest figures on residual waste, according to green party leader Eamon Ryan.

According to the figures for 2013, published by the Environmental Protection Agency on Thursday, more residual or ‘black bin’ waste is being incinerated in cement kilns or exported for incineration and energy recover than had been the case in 2012.

The agency said the increase in energy recovery was a result of deliberate policy to disincentivise landfill, but it said Ireland should have its own infrastructure instead of sending waste abroad for treatment.

However the Green Party said the figures showed a clear drop in the tonnage of residual waste needed to support the Poolbeg project. The party said the Poolbeg incinerator had been justified on the need to treat one million tonnes of residual waste annually. But while that figure was taken from the EPA report for 2012, while the latest report for 2013 showed just 700,000 tonnes was classed as residual waste.

Party leader Eamon Ryan said the cement kilns and exports were already “shrinking the feedstock” for the Poolbeg incinerator.

Dublin City Council recently said the incinerator would have capacity for 550,000 tonnes of residual waste a year.

However Mr Ryan said after the cement kilns and new, already agreed EU targets for recycling, the amount of residual waste arising would not support the incinerator.

He said the incinerator was initially proposed as a Dublin regional infrastructure but it was now being shown to be uneconomic even on a national basis bringing waste from “as far as Donegal”.

Mr Ryan said the only argument left supporting the incinerator was that so much money had been spend in its development. But he said the business case for its operation was being further eroded all the time and the incinerator would be competing for its share of fuel with the incinerator in Co Meath and cement kilns.