Issuance of the permit follows a detailed review and consultation process by the EA.
The Rookery project, located in Bedfordshire, UK, will convert over 500,000 tonnes of residual waste per year into approximately 60 megawatts of low carbon energy – enough electricity to meet the needs of 75,000 homes. Site preparation work has begun with full construction anticipated to follow by mid-2018, in conjunction with financial close. The project is expected to be fully operational in 2021.
Covanta executive vice president and corporate development head Matthew Mulcahy said: “Receipt of the environmental permit represents one of the final hurdles before we move into full construction of the Rookery project.
"The facility represents critical waste infrastructure that will help the U.K. achieve national recovery, recycling and renewable energy targets. We are pleased with the progress we have made to reach this point and look forward to bringing this project to completion."
In late 2017, Covanta announced a development agreement with the Green Investment Group to develop new Energy-from-Waste projects in the UK and Ireland. The Rookery facility would be the first in the joint pipeline of UK projects.
