Aberdeen incinerator reopens after second closure in six months

Aberdeen’s £150m incinerator is reopening after closing twice in six months.

The facility – used by Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray councils for non-recyclable waste – was shut down by Aberdeen City Council on 8 December when an interim operator was put in place.

Former operator Energy From Waste (EfW) Ness previously said it intended to take legal action after its contract to run the site was terminated.

Aberdeen City Council said it would reopen on Tuesday and it aimed for the resumption of normal operations within a few days.

The council added that waste and recycling company Suez – appointed interim operator – had now taken control of the facility.

During the shutdown, waste which would have been processed at the plant was diverted to other sites.

The incinerator in East Tullos – which can process 150,000 tonnes of waste every year, reducing the amount sent to landfill – opened in April 2024.

It temporarily closed in June last year after the original operator Indaver said it was reviewing its involvement due to “ongoing issues”.

Non-recyclable waste from the three councils was instead sent to landfill in Peterhead.

The incinerator re-opened in August, after the council reached an agreement with EfW Ness to run it.

At the time, EfW Ness told BBC Scotland News the facility was a “world-class project” that was reducing landfill for the region.

A ban on sending black-bag waste to landfill in Scotland was effectively delayed by two years after a BBC investigation found up to 100 truckloads of rubbish would have to be transported to England each day.

Not enough waste incinerators have been built in time to cope with the additional waste being diverted from landfill, creating a capacity gap.

Ministers wrote to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) highlighting the challenges the waste industry has been facing in preparing for the ban.

Sepa then issued a notice saying the ban would take full effect from January 2028.