STEAM will be seen from a multi-million-pound waste incinerator on the outskirts of Dunbar, which is nearing completion.

The energy recovery facility (ERF) plant at Oxwellmains has now entered the hot commissioning phase. The process includes steam blowing to clean out the internal surfaces of the steam pipes.

A Viridor spokesman said: “The £177m Dunbar ERF is in the final stage of commissioning and will begin to process waste in the coming weeks and then generate low-carbon energy, contributing to Scottish energy security.

“As Viridor recently advised in its newsletter to 5,500 local households, the commissioning process involves a steam blowing exercise to clean out the internal surfaces of the pipes. This activity is under way in advance of the waste being processed.

“Viridor has now installed the weighbridges and constructed the internal roads and drainage infrastructure at Dunbar ERF. Work on the exterior has progressed well and is substantially complete.”

The spokesman added: “The Dunbar site will generate 30MW of base-load renewable energy direct to the grid – the equivalent of 39 wind turbines – enough to continuously power 39,000 homes.”

After completion, the plant will support more than 50 full-time jobs.

It will be able to process up to 300,000 tonnes of rubbish per annum – which will come from all over the country by rail. The plant will only accept post-recyclable material – material that cannot be recycled and would otherwise go to landfill.