THE contract to build a £177 million incinerator on the outskirts of Dunbar has been awarded.

A joint venture comprising Interserve and Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S has been awarded an EPC (Engineer Procure Construct) contract by Viridor for the energy recovery facility (ERF) at Viridor’s existing Oxwellmains waste treatment hub.

At least 350 jobs are expected to be created during construction when work gets under way in April. Work on the site is expected to last for three years and be complete by the end of 2017.

When it is up and running, the facility will support 55 full-time jobs and boost the East Lothian economy by £10 million each year.

Ian Renhard, managing director of Interserve Construction, said: “We are pleased that our continued work with our partners Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S and Viridor on another energy recovery facility will not only assist UK environmental targets but also support the local economy and local employment in Dunbar.” The plans were widely opposed in the county when first mooted but, despite opposition from East Lothian Council, they were approved by the Scottish Government in 2010.

Now, work is set to go ahead in a matter of months in a bid to deliver Scotland’s ambitions to create a zero waste circular economy, which encourages waste reduction, boosts recycling and recovers renewable energy from what remains.

In tandem with Viridor’s investment in a £125m network of recycling-led infrastructure in Scotland, the project will deliver a 300,000 tonnes per annum facility, which will divert post-recycling ‘residual’ waste from landfill and contribute to Scottish energy security.

The site will generate 30MW of base-load renewable energy direct to the grid: the equivalent of 39 wind turbines, which is enough to power 39,000 homes continuously.

The plant will also offer up to 10MW of heat for local use.

The 350-plus jobs will include a range of professional, skilled, entry-level roles and apprenticeships and the project aims to deliver a range of community benefits focused on employment and training, providing support for local business and education through Viridor’s partnership with the Engineering Development Trust.