In the latest development in the battle against the Westbury incinerator, South West Wiltshire MP Dr Andrew Murrison has written to Ministers asking for them to assure him that the Contract for Difference which Northacre Renewable Energy Ltd. (NREL) was awarded for its gasification plant will not be applicable to waste incinerators.
Contracts for Difference are awarded by the government to give financial support to companies building green infrastructure. NREL were awarded a Contract for Difference in 2017 to build a gasification facility in Westbury which is held to be more environmentally friendly than other forms of incineration. However, NREL have since abandoned plans to build a gasifier and have now decided to build a conventional moving grate incinerator. Dr Murrison has written to Grant Shapps, Minister for Energy Security & Net Zero, and Thérèse Coffey, Minister for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to ensure NREL does not get a green subsidy for a process that is environmentally harmful.
Andrew said, ‘NREL have no intention of building an environmentally friendly facility and have no claim to a continued Contract for Difference. The company, not the taxpayer, must bear the cost for this blight on the Wiltshire landscape. NREL may have received planning permission for this abomination from authorities based in Bristol but the fight in Westbury is not over by a long shot.’