Energy From Waste Location Other Than The North Foreshore
This has implications for not just householders but also for businesses. These may categorised into two main areas:
1) Financial
2) Economic Development
1. Financial
Strategically, an alternative site for locating an EfW is unlikely to yield benefits relating to uptake of heat and to access to sea water for cooling. The uptake of heat would provide a welcome direct revenue source. It would also help assure eligibility for Renewable Obligations Certificates which would also provide an additional revenue stream. It is anticipated that that these revenue streams could add as much as £34 per ton onto the gate fee charged to users of the facility. Access to sea water for cooling purposes could improve efficiency by up to 15% resulting in reduced operating costs which would be reflected in a lower charge to customers.
Increased costs would impact on Businesses in two ways. Firstly, as potential customers providing waste to the facility and secondly, as ratepayers in that increased costs to Councils would require to be accounted for in annual rate bills. If these costs are not accounted for in the annual rates bill, the alternative is a cut in Council services which could directly or indirectly affect businesses.
2. Economic Development
An EfW in the right location with the capability to provide a cheap source of heat should act as a catalyst for inward investment to the area. Developments and Businesses are likely to be attracted to sites that have cheap heat available, good transport corridors and are in an established commercial and industrial area. It is unlikely that alternative sites to the North Foreshore will have all these ingredients. An EfW plant on the North Foreshore would offer considerable opportunity to stimulate economic development. Throughout Europe, there are a number of examples of commercial and industrial businesses taking advantage of cheap heat from an adjacent EfW plant e.g. Barcelona, Alkmaar and Sheffield. This is an opportunity missed by North Belfast.
This lost opportunity does not send an encouraging signal to potential investors either in Belfast or indeed further afield in Northern Ireland. It will not be viewed positively in this regard and could mitigate against future investment decisions at a time where there are pressures on the public sector to be seen to actively and tangibly contribute to addressing the current economic downturn.
