Isle of Wight council have announced that the Forest Road Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) has finally been officially ‘successfully commissioned’.
The council say that,
“This cutting-edge plant is set to transform the Island’s approach to waste management by converting all non-recyclable household waste into energy, marking a major milestone in the council’s environmental efforts.”
Concerns about environmental impact
However, it comes just threes months after OnTheWight reported (in October 2024) that councils across the country are locked into long-term contracts with companies to burn black bag waste, despite growing concerns over the environmental impact of incineration.
Although the IWC does not have a standalone incineration contract, the integrated waste management contract runs through to 2041 and would be subject to significant financial impacts if the council or the service provider terminates the contract early.
Generating electricity to power 7,000 homes
The council say that the ERF plant “boasts an impressive annual processing capacity of 40,000 tonnes, generating enough electricity to power 7,000 homes”.
They say it not only addresses local energy needs, but also “significantly reduces the Island’s reliance on landfill”.
The facility not only burns non-recyclable waste, but also sorts through black bag rubbish to retrieve any recyclable items.
Long-running saga
The facility at Forest Road (then called Forest Park) has been plagued by years of delays.
Back in 2015, Amey announced their plans to redevelop the waste site at Forest Park.
In 2017 it was revealed that the company due to rebuild what was then known as the “gasification plant” (as part of Amey’s £225m, 25 year waste contract) had gone out of business, forcing Isle of Wight council and Amey to look for an alternative solution.
The in 2018, under the former Conservative-led administration, the council said,
“The Forest Road site is an important part of the council’s aim to divert 90 percent of waste away from landfill and recycle 55 percent of household waste by 2020.”
Concerns were raised in early 2019 about the transparency surrounding the new Forest Road incinerator. The council sought to answer the questions raised.
In May 2022, it was revealed that although the ERF was burning non-recyclable waste, the handover was subject to yet more delays.
In August 2023, four years since it was meant to start working, the ERF remained in a testing phase and still needed the final sign-off.
In February 2024, the ERF entered the final testing phase. Now, almost a year later, it has finally been signed off.
