Work is underway to develop the next stage of a £150 million Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in Aberdeen.

Councillors approved plans to proceed with the energy generation scheme at a meeting on Monday, 24 October.

Members have agreed to enter into a second stage Inter-Authority Agreement with Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils relating to initial project and procurement development work for the facility.

A paper will now go before Moray Council's Policy and Resources Committee today, 25 October, while a similar document will be discussed by Aberdeenshire Council's Full Council Committee on Wednesday, 26 October.

Work on the multi-million pound facility is expected to begin in January 2019, with completion scheduled for 2021. Around 200 workers will be employed during the projects construction stage, with a further 20 once the facility becomes operational.

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The project is being brought forward to help Aberdeen comply with new regulations which will ban council's from putting any biodegradable municipal waste into landfill from 01 January 2021.

City Council Leader Jenny Laing said: "We have listened to and noted the concerns of the local community councils and that is why we have instructed our Chief Executive, Angela Scott, to write to her counterparts at NHS Grampian, SEPA and Health Protection Scotland for their professional opinion on health and environmental issues associated with the facility. Their responses will be shared with the four community councils.

"I am delighted that the approval of today's motion puts us into a position not only to enter into a next stage agreement with our partner councils but to deliver on our aspirations to provide low cost heating for the people of Torry.

"We cannot ignore our statutory responsibilities and the decision taken today is a further step in the right direction towards a Zero Waste Aberdeen. If we can do that in partnership it will mean that the financial burden on the city will be significantly reduced."

(LM/MH)