North Yorkshire incinerator plans face scrutiny questions

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 16:02 · Archive

Councillors question whether amendments to add hydrogen and carbon capture to a North Yorkshire waste incinerator need greater public scrutiny.

Power Consulting Midlands Ltd has applied to North Yorkshire Council to amend planning permission for a waste facility at Kingspan Insulation in Sherburn in Elmet. The facility is currently permitted to process up to 240,000 tonnes of waste annually. The proposed amendments would introduce carbon capture equipment capable of capturing around 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year, alongside a hydrogen production facility.

According to a planning statement submitted by consultants STAT Planning, the carbon capture system would remove carbon dioxide from the incinerator's flue gases. The captured carbon dioxide could then be used directly in Kingspan's manufacturing processes, reducing the need to import it from elsewhere. The hydrogen plant would use electricity generated by the incinerator to split water into hydrogen and oxygen, with the hydrogen used to power Kingspan's logistics vehicles.

The developer says the additional infrastructure would improve environmental performance without increasing the amount of waste processed. However, the North Yorkshire Green Party has questioned whether such significant changes to a development originally approved almost a decade ago should be subject to greater public scrutiny by elected councillors and the public. The incinerator's outline planning permission was granted in 2017, and it has since evolved through subsequent planning applications and variations.

How it is being reported

• Councillors challenge plan to add hydrogen and carbon capture to incineratorConcerns about a lack of public scrutiny have been raised over plans to add hydrogen production and carbon capture facilities to a major North Yorkshire waste incinerator without a new planning application being filed.The Northern Echo · 16 Oct, 15:30
• Councillors challenge plan to add hydrogen and carbon capture to incineratorConcerns about a lack of public scrutiny have been raised over plans to add hydrogen production and carbon capture facilities to a major North Yorkshire waste incinerator without a new planning application being filed.Darlington & Stockton Times · 16 Oct, 15:30

In this story: Power Consulting Midlands Ltd · North Yorkshire Council · Kingspan Insulation · Sherburn in Elmet · North Yorkshire Green Party

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