Clean Planet Energy is a UK-based environmental company that develops advanced recycling facilities—known as ecoPlants—to tackle two major problems: plastic waste that cannot be recycled by traditional methods, and the carbon footprint of producing new plastics from fossil fuels. The company designs, builds and operates these facilities, producing “circular-oil” that can be used by petrochemical companies to make new plastics with far lower emissions than virgin materials.

Clean Planet Energy is part of the wider Clean Planet Group, which also includes a Technology division developing new low-carbon innovations and a not-for-profit Foundation focused on education and community engagement.

Their work has been recognised internationally, featuring in United Nations publications and across major UK media, and their first UK ecoPlant is already under construction in Teesside. Their mission is to provide practical, scalable solutions that keep plastic waste out of the environment while supporting the transition to a circular economy.

You can learn more about he Group at https://cleanplanet.com

Large volumes of plastic waste in the UK and Europe are currently either incinerated or landfilled because they cannot be recycled mechanically.

Policies such as Simpler Recycling, Extended Producer Responsibility and the planned extension of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme are driving the separation of these “hard-to-recycle” plastics—including films and mixed polyolefins—but mechanical recyclers cannot handle most of this material.

By 2030, an estimated 138,000–165,000 tonnes of unrecycled polyolefins will arise each year within the catchment area of a new ecoPlant, creating a significant recycling gap.

At the same time, UK and EU regulations are increasing demand for high-quality recycled plastics, especially for packaging.

Existing recycling infrastructure cannot meet this demand, and chemical recycling via a Clean Planet ecoPlant is one of the few proven routes to produce recycled feedstocks suitable for new, food-grade and contact-sensitive plastics.

Clean Planet Energy’s ecoPlants provide a domestic solution by converting these difficult plastics into a valuable, low-carbon circular-oil used to make new plastics. This diverts waste from landfill and incineration, reduces greenhouse-gas emissions, and helps the UK meet its recycling and Net Zero goals.

Yes — the Clean Planet ecoPlant proposed for Sleaford is designed to be a green facility.

Here is a summary of why it qualifies as a green facility:

🌱 1. It diverts hard-to-recycle plastics away from landfill and incineration

The plant processes plastics that cannot currently be mechanically recycled. Instead of being burned or buried, these plastics are converted into circular oils used by the petrochemical industry to make new plastics, keeping materials in circulation and reducing demand for virgin fossil feedstocks.

♻️ 2. It supports a circular economy It is a certified circular feedstock that goes back into manufacturing — this aligns with EU Taxonomy principles for circularity and low-carbon technologies.

🌍 3. It delivers greenhouse-gas (GHG) savings

According to the EU Taxonomy Article 9 assessment, processing waste plastics into circular feedstocks results in significant lifecycle GHG savings when compared to:

· producing virgin fossil-based feedstocks, and

· sending the waste plastics to landfill or energy-from-waste.

The assessment treats the process as a low-carbon technology, recognising its contribution to reduced emissions.

🏭 4. It is designed with strict environmental controls

The planning documents and environmental statements describe:

· Controlled, enclosed processing systems

· Emission abatement and continuous monitoring

· Noise limits met at site boundaries

· Flood-risk-safe design

· Biodiversity protection measures (including habitat considerations from PEA, BNG, and survey reports)

🔒 5. It is required to operate safely

The facility must meet environmental permit standards regulating:

· air emissions

· waste handling

· operational safety

· impact on local communities.

🌿 6. Biodiversity and ecological impacts are managed

Ecological reports (PEA, BNG, Water Vole Survey) outline mitigation actions such as habitat retention and enhancement, ensuring net-positive or neutral ecological impact.

✔️ Conclusion

Yes, the Clean Planet ecoPlant is designed as a green, safe, and environmentally positive facility, in line with circular-economy principles and EU Taxonomy criteria. The purpose of the plant is to reduce plastic waste, cut greenhouse-gas emissions, and produce circular materials to support more sustainable plastic production.

It will process hard-to-recycle waste plastics into high-quality circular oils.

These circular oils are then used by the petrochemical industry as a sustainable feedstock to make new plastics and other circular materials, helping keep plastics in the loop rather than sending them to landfill or incineration.

The Pyrolysis oils are not used as fuels to be burned.

No — the Clean Planet ecoPlant in Sleaford does not burn plastics.

The facility uses a non-combustion, advanced recycling process (a controlled thermal or chemical conversion process) that breaks down hard-to-recycle plastics into circular oils. These circular oils are then supplied back to the petrochemical industry to make new plastics, keeping materials in the circular economy.

Key points:

· No incineration and no burning of plastics

· The output is circular oils, used as feedstock for making new plastics

· Designed to reduce plastic waste and support low-carbon, circular manufacturing

Emissions are strictly controlled and continuously monitored under legally-binding environmental permitting rules. Here is a clear, factual explanation based entirely on the planning and technical documents for the Clean Planet ecoPlant in Sleaford.

✔ What emissions are produced?

The planned facility includes a thermal oxidiser and a single main stack that treats vapours and gases from the pyrolysis and purification stages. Emissions modelled include the standard pollutants regulated under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the UK Environmental Permitting Regulations.

The air quality assessment confirms:

• Emissions are modelled at worst-case IED limits .

• Some pollutants modelled will not actually be present because of the nature of the plastic feedstock.

• The model used worst-case emissions, and actual emissions are expected to be considerably lower.

The assessment concluded:

“The modelling assessment has demonstrated that emissions to air will not have a significant impact on local air quality.”

A 30 m stack was selected to ensure pollutants disperse effectively so that levels at the ground remain negligible for nearby residents and sensitive locations .

✔ How are emissions monitored and controlled?

1. Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) compliance

The plant must operate under a Small Waste Incineration Plant (SWIP) permit, which requires strict monitoring, sampling, and reporting of emissions to the local authority. The planning documents state:

• The facility “will be fully compliant with the operational requirements specified in the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED)” .

2. Thermal oxidiser treatment

All process gases are sent to a thermal oxidiser, which destroys organic compounds before release:

• “Emissions from this process are treated in the thermal oxidiser and are subject to the emission limits referenced in the IED.”

3. Continuous dispersion modelling and regulatory assessment

Emissions are assessed using ADMS atmospheric modelling and five years of meteorological data to ensure ongoing compliance under worst-case conditions.

4. Monitoring requirements

Although the final monitoring plan is determined through the SWIP permit, the planning documents include clear commitments:

• Ongoing operational monitoring regulated by the Local Authority under the Environmental Permitting Regulations.

• Construction-phase monitoring for dust and particulates with daily inspection, logging and reporting requirements (this relates to construction, not operation) .

5. Emergency management

If the thermal oxidiser is offline, a backup emergency flare safely treats gases until the system restarts or shuts down properly.

✔ Is public real-time emissions data provided?

Emissions will be monitored under the SWIP permit and regulated by the Local Authority, meaning monitoring data must be available to the regulator and can typically be requested by the public.

The Sleaford ecoPlant uses advanced chemical recycling (pyrolysis) to turn hard-to-recycle waste plastics into circular oils that can be used again in the petrochemical industry to make new plastics.

The process is a closed system operating without oxygen, preventing combustion and minimising emissions.

🔄 Step-by-Step Process

1. Pre-Feed Preparation

Mixed Waste plastics arrive at the Feed Hall, where they are pre-processed:

• Non-plastic materials such as glass, metals, cardboard are removed.

• Plastics that have as strong route to mechanical recycling (PET) or cannot be easily chemically recycled at this stage (Industrial PVC) are also taken out.

• Material is then stored and prepared for controlled feeding into the system.

2. Pyrolysis (Breaking Plastic Into Vapours)

The plastic enters four rotating pyrolysis reactors operating at around 430°C in the absence of oxygen.

Inside the reactors:

• Plastics break down into small-chain hydrocarbon vapours.

• A small amount of catalyst (0.2–0.3%) helps improve cracking.

• A dechlorination agent (0.4–0.6%) removes chloride from any residential PVC that enters the feed.

• A small solid carbon residue (char) is produced and collected for off-site use.

3. Gas Cooling & Separation

The hot vapours then pass through a two-stage cooling system:

• Pre-Cooler: Removes heavy fractions and sends them back for further cracking.

• Main Cooler: Lowers vapour temperature to 60–80°C, separating:

o pyrolysis oil (condensed)

o non-condensable gas

4. Gas Scrubbing (Cleaning the Gas)

Non-condensable gases pass through a scrubber where contaminants such as H₂S and HCl are removed using a caustic solution.

The cleaned gas is:

• recycled to heat the pyrolysis reactors, or

• sent to a gas turbine to generate electricity for the plant.

5. Oil Purification & Seperation

The separated pyrolysis oil undergoes purification in two centrifuges:

• Decanter centrifuge: removes solids down to 5 microns

• Disc centrifuge: removes remaining water and fine particles down to 2 microns

• The oil is split into different fractions if required by the offtaker

This creates a high-quality Plastic/Purified Pyrolysis Oil (PPO).

6. Storage and Offtake

The purified circular oils are stored in tanks on site until collected by petrochemical customers to make new plastics.

⭐ What Products Are Created?

According to the documents:

• Circular Oils (PPO) – used by petrochemical refineries to make new plastics

• Syngas – used internally to power the plant

• Carbon Residue – a solid product that can be used externally depending on regulations

🌍 Why This Matters

The process:

• Converts plastics that are not recyclable by traditional methods.

• Produces circular oils that allow plastic material to be kept in the loop instead of becoming waste.

• Uses syngas internally, reducing reliance on fossil energy.

• Complements mechanical recycling rather than replacing it.

✅ Specific GHG Savings (EU Taxonomy Document)

The EU Taxonomy review confirms that Clean Planet Energy’s circular-oil (PPO) achieves:

➡️ 58–61% lower lifecycle GHG emissions compared with the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) fossil baseline of 94 g CO₂e/MJ.

This is explicitly stated:

“CPE’s production process yields a low-carbon intensity PPO with a GHG value approximately 58–61% lower than the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) fossil baseline (94 g CO2e/MJ).”

This means the process has less than half the greenhouse gas impact of producing equivalent fossil-derived feedstocks.

📉 What This Means

• The ecoPlant’s output oil has substantially lower GHG emissions across its full lifecycle, including:

  • plastic collection & transport

  • pre-processing

  • pyrolysis

  • purification

  • electricity/heat use

  • comparison to equivalent fossil-based petrochemical products

• These GHG calculations were prepared to ISO 14064-1, a recognised international carbon accounting standard, and were independently verified:

• “Lifecycle GHG emissions calculations and savings were verified by Catalyst, as an independent third party.”

📌 Why the Savings Occur

The GHG reductions come from:

1. Replacing fossil crude with circular oil, reducing the need to extract fossil resources.

2. Avoiding emissions from landfill or incineration of hard-to-recycle plastics.

3. Using process syngas to power the system, lowering external energy requirements.

4. Efficient pyrolysis and purification process, assessed using ISO-compliant LCA methods.

🌿 1. Air Quality Protections

✔ Thermal Oxidiser (RTO) for Treating Emissions

All process gases are treated in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser to destroy VOCs, hazardous air pollutants, and other volatile compounds:

The RTO “neutralizes harmful pollutants… meeting EU Industrial Emissions Directive targets.”

✔ Stack Design for Safe Dispersion

A 30 m high stack ensures emissions disperse safely, keeping ground-level pollutant concentrations very low.

✔ Worst-Case Emissions Modelling

The Air Quality Assessment models all pollutants at their highest possible IED limits, even though some will not be present in practice:

“The modelling… has demonstrated that emissions to air will not have a significant impact on local air quality.”

✔ Strict Monitoring Under SWIP / IED Permits

The plant must comply with Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) limits and monitoring requirements.

💧 2. Water Protections

✔ Water Use & Protection Measures

The EU Taxonomy report confirms that water-related environmental risks have been assessed and addressed:

The activity complies with criteria for “preserving water quality and avoiding water stress.”

✔ No Adverse Impact on Local Water Bodies

The Environment Agency raised no concerns regarding water quality in the planning reviews.

✔ Stormwater & Drainage Strategy

A full Flood Risk and Sustainable Drainage Strategy is included to control:

• surface water runoff

• pollution prevention

• safe drainage capacity

🔇 3. Noise Protections

A detailed Noise Impact Assessment was completed, including 3D modelling.

✔ Noise Mitigation Measures Included

Mitigation was added after modelling identified potential exceedances:

• acoustic enclosures

• positioning of equipment to shield receptors

• barrier enhancements

• operational controls

The assessment shows compliance with required noise standards once mitigation is applied.

🐾 4. Ecology & Biodiversity Protections

✔ Ecological Assessments Completed

• Preliminary Ecological Appraisal

• Water Vole Survey

• Biodiversity Net Gain assessment

These confirm:

• No significant ecological constraints

• The site is not near any biodiversity-sensitive areas

“There are no biodiversity-sensitive areas nearby.”

✔ Water Vole Protection

Specific mitigation measures are in place to protect any potential water vole presence in nearby ditches.

🚛 5. Traffic & Transport Protections

Measures include:

• controlled HGV access using pre-built industrial estate roadways

• two-way access to avoid queuing

• no significant highway impacts

🔁 6. Circular Economy & Waste Protections

✔ Supports Circular Economy Goals

The plant contributes directly by:

• using non-recyclable waste plastics as secondary raw material

• using syngas as internal energy

• ·ensuring traceability of substances

✔ No Hazardous Materials Produced

The process avoids creation of materials listed as restricted substances under the EU Taxonomy.

🌍 7. Climate and GHG Protections

✔ Lifecycle GHG Savings (58–61%)

The ecoPlant's circular oil has 58–61% lower greenhouse gas emissions than fossil alternatives.

✔ Independently Verified GHG Assessment

Calculated to ISO 14064-1, verified by an independent third party.

🛡️ 8. Governance, Safety & Compliance Protections

✔ Environmental Impact Screening Completed

A formal screening confirmed an EIA was not required, demonstrating low risk.

✔ Compliance with International Safeguards

The project meets:

• OECD Guidelines

• UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights

• ILO labour standards

These protections support safe, responsible operation of the ecoPlant.

✅ Summary — What This Means for Sleaford

The ecoPlant incorporates extensive environmental protections, including:

• advanced air cleaning and monitoring

• safe water and drainage systems

• noise controls

• biodiversity safeguards

• strict governance and compliance

• verified low-carbon performance

These measures ensure the facility is green, safe, well-regulated, and environmentally beneficial.

🚛 1. Traffic Measures

The facility has undergone a full Transport Statement assessment, which concludes that the development will not cause significant adverse impacts on the surrounding road network.

✔ Access Design

• The plant uses two existing access junctions already constructed as part of the Sleaford Enterprise Park.

• Safe visibility splays and swept-path analyses were completed for HGVs, fire appliances, and staff vehicles.

✔ Traffic Volumes

• Traffic generation is assessed as low and manageable, consistent with the industrial estate’s purpose.

• HGVs use the A17 and Enterprise Way, avoiding residential areas.

✔ Operational Controls

• A dedicated perimeter road enables safe onsite HGV circulation, loading, and unloading.

• Staff parking and internal road layouts meet highway authority standards.

✔ Conclusion

“The scheme would not give rise to significant adverse impacts on the adjacent transport network.”

🔇 2. Noise Measures

A detailed Noise Impact Assessment was conducted, including 3D modelling of all plant equipment.

✔ Mitigation Built into the Design

The plant design includes the following mitigation measures:

• Acoustic enclosures around higher-noise equipment

• Optimised site layout to shield nearby receptors

• Containment and housing of key machinery

• Barriers and structures to reduce breakout noise

✔ Noise-Controlled Equipment

Noise modelling included all significant components, for example:

• Thermal oxidiser

• Scrubbers

• Ground flare (limited to 20% on-time)

• Fans, pumps, compressors

• Purification systems

✔ Outcome

With mitigation, the assessment shows compliance with required background noise levels at nearby homes.

🛡️ 3. Safety Measures

Safety protections apply both onsite and through regulatory compliance.

✔ Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) Compliance

The plant must meet strict safety and environmental standards under the UK’s implementation of the IED, including:

• Controlled combustion systems

• Monitoring of emissions

• Safe handling of process gases

✔ Thermal Oxidiser & Air Safety

All process gases are treated in a Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser (RTO) that destroys harmful pollutants before release.

✔ Emergency Flare

An emergency flare ensures gases can be safely destroyed if the primary oxidiser is offline.

✔ Operational Safeguards

The design includes:

• Fire safety systems

• Separation distances and controlled access

• Security infrastructure around the site perimeter

• Tank farm safety and bunding for storage areas

✔ Biodiversity & Ground Safety

Environmental reviews confirm:

• No biodiversity-sensitive sites nearby

• Flood risk and drainage protections in place, with no significant flood vulnerability.

There are very limited amounts generated, carefully managed, and handled under strict environmental controls. Here is a clear, factual summary based only on the planning and technical documents for the Sleaford ecoPlant.

♻️ 1. What types of waste are produced?

The ecoPlant is designed to minimise waste through its circular process. However, a small amount of non-recyclable residue is produced.

✔ a) Non-Condensable Solids (Carbon Residue / Char)

When plastics are broken down in the pyrolysis reactors, a small amount of solid carbon residue is left behind. Of this, some of it can’t be repurposed or used in other industrial activities. What can’t be reused is collected and sent off-site for appropriate use or disposal, depending on regulatory allowances.

✔ b) Pre-Feed Screening Waste

During the pre-feed stage, the plant removes materials that cannot enter the chemical recycling system, such as:

• metals

• glass

• soil

• non-target plastics (e.g. PET, PVC)

These are separated and sent to appropriate recycling or other disposal routes.

✔ c) Spent Filters & Scrubber Material

The gas scrubber removes acid gases (like HCl and H₂S) from the process gas stream. This generates:

• a small amount of spent caustic liquid

• occasional filter media requiring controlled disposal

These are handled under standard waste management procedures regulated by permit.

🌬️ 2. What about air emissions waste?

Air emissions are not considered physical “waste,” but they are tightly controlled.

All process gases go through the thermal oxidiser before being released, meeting the Industrial Emissions Directive requirements.

🛢️ 3. Is there wastewater?

Only small quantities of process water are produced:

• condensate from gas cooling

• separated water from the oil purification system

• scrubber liquid that is periodically replaced

These are all collected and disposed of via permitted waste routes consistent with environmental regulations.

The EU Taxonomy review confirms:

The activity meets the criteria for “sustainable use and protection of water and marine resources.”

🧭 4. How is all waste handled?

All waste is managed under an Environmental Permit, which requires:

• complete traceability

• segregated waste streams

• licensed waste carriers

• disposal at authorised facilities

• record-keeping and reporting to regulators

The permit ensures nothing is released or disposed of improperly.

🌍 5. Does the process generate hazardous waste?

No hazardous waste is reported beyond:

• small amounts of scrubber residue

• spent filter media

• trace solid residue from reactors

These are common to many industrial processes and managed under regulated waste controls. The EU Taxonomy assessment confirms: The process does not involve the use or release of substances restricted under pollution prevention criteria.

Mass Balance: What Goes In vs. What Is Produced / Lost

The documentation provides a very clear breakdown of the feedstock input and daily outputs of the pyrolysis process.

1. What Goes In (Inputs)

Primary Input

• Mixed waste plastic: 72 tonnes per day

• 
  

Minor Additional Inputs

These are added in very small quantities during processing:

• Catalyst: 0.2–0.3% of feed

• Dichlorination agent: 0.4–0.6% of feed

Combined, these additives total approximately 0.6–0.9% of the plastic feed (≈0.4–0.6 tonnes/day at most).

Utility Inputs

These are not transformed into products but support the process:

• Electricity and gas from grid (only at startup/peak demand)

• Water for cooling, scrubbing, and purification

  • ( across the Process Flow and Utility Area, e.g., purification centrifuges, scrubbers, water systems)

2. What Comes Out (Outputs)

The Energy Statement provides definitive daily mass yields:

• Purified Pyrolysis Oil - 49.7 t/day - 69% of output

  • Circular oil for petrochemical refineries (used to make new plastics)

• Fuel Gas (Syngas) - 17.3t/day - 24% of output

  • Recycled onsite for heat & electricity generation

• Char / Carbon Residue - 5 t/day - 7% of output

  • Solid residue; can be a product or waste depending on market requirements

Total = 72 tonnes/day, meaning no significant unaccounted mass.

3. Supporting By-Products, Recoveries, & Waste Streams

These are smaller flows described in the process documentation:

3.1 Water & Solids Removed During Purification

• Water removed in oil purification sent to wastewater treatment.

• Sludge from decanter and disc centrifuges (≥2–5 microns) collected for disposal.

3.2 Gas Scrubbing Outputs

• Scrubber removes H₂S and HCl using caustic solution; this produces spent caustic waste for disposal via permitted waste routes.

3.3 Non-Plastic Rejects

Pre-feed removes items like:

• Metals, glass, cartons, PET, PVC

• These are removed before pyrolysis and leave the site as normal waste.

3.4 Emissions to Air

The plant includes:

• Thermal oxidiser and stack

• Flare system for waste gas (used for emergency/abnormal conditions)

These are handled under the required environmental permit (Small Waste Incineration Plant – SWIP). Emissions include typical combustion gases (CO₂, NOx, small particulates), as assessed in the Air Quality Report.

4. Energy Balance (What is “Lost”)

The fuel gas is primarily recycled, not lost:

• Syngas is sent to pyrolysis heater burners and the gas turbine

• Any surplus is used for site electricity or heating

Energy Produced

• The ecoPlant is net energy positive: 204,280 MWh/year net generation

Actual “Losses”

The only true mass “losses” are small and expected:

• Oxidised gases from combustion (CO₂, water vapour)

• Tiny uncondensed hydrocarbons combusted in thermal oxidiser

• Minor residues (sludge, scrubber waste)

These represent the chemical conversion of hydrocarbons, not uncontrolled emissions.

The ecoPlant’s circular oil (PPO) has a lifecycle GHG intensity about 58–61% lower than the RED II fossil baseline (94 gCO₂e/MJ) — i.e. roughly 36.9–39.5 gCO₂e/MJ.

The lifecycle calculation was done to ISO 14064-1 and independently verified.

Quick context on why those savings occur (from the Taxonomy report):

• Replaces fossil-derived feedstock (avoids extraction/refining emissions).

• Avoids landfill/incineration emissions from the plastics feedstock.

• Recovers and uses syngas onsite for heat/electricity, lowering external energy needs.

• These lifecycle effects are reflected in the verified LCA that underpins the 58–61% figure.

✅ 1. The GHG Savings: Verified Lifecycle Numbers

The EU Taxonomy assessment confirms that the ecoPlant’s circular oil (PPO) delivers:

➡️ 58–61% lower lifecycle GHG emissions than the RED II fossil baseline (94 gCO₂e/MJ)

This corresponds to a lifecycle carbon intensity of approximately:

• 36.9–39.5 gCO₂e/MJ (vs. the 94 gCO₂e/MJ fossil comparator)

These values were calculated using ISO 14064-1 and independently verified.

This saving arises because:

• The process avoids emissions from landfill or incineration.

• The circular oil replaces crude-derived feedstock in petrochemical plants.

• The ecoPlant captures and reuses syngas internally for heat and power, reducing external energy needs.

Yes.

The planning and technical documents show that the facility is designed with multiple layers of environmental, operational and safety protections.

These come from:

• Engineered safety systems (thermal oxidiser, scrubbers, flare, containment)

• Strict emissions treatment and monitoring

• Noise and traffic mitigation built into the design

• Environmental protections for air, water, ecology and land

Below is a breakdown using what the documents state.

🛡️ 1. Air Safety (Emissions Control)

All process gases are treated through a Regenerative Thermal Oxidiser (RTO), which destroys harmful organic compounds and ensures the plant meets the Industrial Emissions Directive limits:

The RTO “neutralizes harmful pollutants… meeting EU Industrial Emissions Directive targets.” There is also an emergency flare to safely burn gases if the oxidiser is offline (abnormal conditions).

Air quality modelling shows:

“Emissions to air will not have a significant impact on local air quality.”

This modelling used worst-case legal emission rates, higher than expected real-world emissions.

🔇 2. Noise Safety

A full Noise Impact Assessment was completed using 3D modelling. Mitigation includes:

• acoustic enclosures

• strategic equipment placement

• sound barriers

• operational controls

With mitigation in place, the assessment shows compliance with required noise levels at the nearest homes.

🚛 3. Traffic & Access Safety

A full Transport Statement concludes:

“The scheme would not give rise to significant adverse impacts on the adjacent transport network.” Two pre-built industrial estate access points are used, avoiding residential roads.

💧 4. Water, Ground & Ecology Safety

Environmental assessments confirm:

• No risk to local water bodies (addressed in water protection criteria)

• Suitable drainage and pollution controls

• No biodiversity-sensitive areas nearby

• 
  

A Water Vole Survey and Preliminary Ecological Appraisal provide additional protections for local species.

🔥 5. Process Safety Systems

The design includes:

• thermal oxidiser (primary safety)

• emergency flare (backup safety)

• gas scrubbing for acid gases (HCl, H₂S)

• controlled, contained reactor system (no oxygen present, prevents combustion)

• fire safety infrastructure

• secure tank farm with bunding

• restricted-access perimeter and security systems

The process itself is inherently controlled: pyrolysis occurs without oxygen, eliminating combustion/explosion conditions.

🏛️ How is it regulated?

The facility is regulated through multiple layers of UK environmental and planning law.

📘 1. Environmental Permit (SWIP – Small Waste Incineration Plant)

The plant requires an Environmental Permit from the Local Authority. This permit controls:

• emission limits

• continuous and periodic monitoring

• materials accepted

• waste management

• safety systems

• reporting and compliance

• maintenance and shutdown rules

The documents state:

The facility “will be fully compliant with the operational requirements specified in the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).”

📗 2. Industrial Emissions Directive (IED)

IED sets strict rules on:

• maximum emission levels

• operating temperatures and residence times

• monitoring frequency

• use of best available techniques

• safe operation and shutdown

All modelling in the planning documents is based on full IED emission limit values.

🏞️ 3. Planning & Environmental Controls

The project is also regulated by:

• Air Quality Assessment (planning requirement)

• Noise Impact Assessment

• Flood Risk & Drainage assessments

• Ecology surveys

• Biodiversity Net Gain requirements

• Construction Environmental Management plans (CEMP)

These ensure impacts remain safe for nearby residents, wildlife, and the environment.

🌍 4. EU Taxonomy Compliance (Verified)

An independent EU Taxonomy audit confirms:

• compliance with pollution prevention and control

• compliance with water protection safeguards

• compliance with biodiversity and ecosystem safeguards

• compliance with minimum OECD/UN/ILO governance safeguards

This demonstrates alignment with stringent sustainability frameworks.

🔎 Summary — Is It Safe & How Is It Regulated?

✔ Safe because:

• emissions are fully treated in RTO + scrubbers

• emergency flare ensures safe handling of abnormal conditions

• NOx, PM, VOCs, metals all modelled at worst-case legal levels and shown safe

• noise, traffic and water impacts mitigated

• closed, oxygen-free process reduces combustion risk

• full suite of fire, gas and containment systems

✔ Regulated by:

• Environmental Permit (SWIP)

• Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) controls

• UK Environmental Permitting Regulations

• Planning conditions

• EU Taxonomy Environmental Safeguards

• Ongoing Local Authority monitoring and compliance