MVV’s Medworth permit granted as EfW ban ends

The permit for the Medworth site was previously approved on 20 February, then repealed and reinstated on 27 February, but the issuing was put on hold after a ban on EfW permits was placed by Sir Mark Spencer (see letsrecycle.com story). 

The project has proved contentious and was opposed by multiple councils including Fenland district council, Wisbech town council, Cambridgeshire county council, Norfolk county council, and the borough council of King’s Lynn and West Norfolk. 

Paul Carey, managing director at MVV Environment, said: “We are pleased to see the environmental permit of our project granted, after completing the due process. We want to assure the local community in Wisbech that we will be a good neighbour as we build and operate the new facility, as we have already demonstrated at our facilities in Plymouth and Dundee.” 

Application 

The planning inspectorate accepted the application for examination on 2 August 2022, following its submission by Medworth CHP, an MVV subsidiary, on 7 July 2022. 

During the examination phase, the public, along with statutory consultees and interested parties, participated by providing evidence to the examining authority. After an assessment, recommendations were submitted to the Secretary of State on 21 November 2023. 

The Medworth energy-from-waste project is now the 132nd nationally significant infrastructure project and the 78th energy application examined by the planning inspectorate. 

Facility 

In the application, MVV detailed that the facility will operate at a maximum capacity of 625,600 tonnes per annum and will feature two thermal treatment lines. 

Each line will include an advanced moving grate furnace, a high-pressure steam boiler, an air pollution control plant, a continuous emissions monitoring system and a discharge chimney. The facility will have two chimneys, each standing at a height of 84 metres. 

Waste, sourced from household, industrial, and commercial origins, will be delivered by pre-approved suppliers using enclosed or covered waste collection vehicles.