Work begins on ‘transformative’ €120m Energy from Waste facility in Scotland – Scottish Business News

PAPREC, the French-based leader in recycling and green energies, and Binn Group, Scotland’s largest independent waste management company, have joined forces to begin work on a new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, which will provide low carbon energy to local industries. The construction of the plant will create 200 jobs.

The new €120m EfW facility at the Binn Eco Park in Tayside, Scotland will be funded by Paprec, and will be built, owned and operated by Paprec Energies Binn, a joint venture between the French firm and Binn Group, two family-owned companies.

The facility is designed to reduce carbon emissions from the management of residual waste and to provide low carbon energy for the local community. It will process up to 85,000 tonnes of residual waste each year and generate up to 8 MW of electricity. The plant also has capacity to generate up to 17MW of heat annually.

Paprec Energies is the only European player able to design, build and operate waste-to-energy plants of all sizes. The company will combine its unique design with the combustion technology developed by its exclusive technological partner Martin, allowing the highest environmental and technical performance in the field. The heat and power form a core component of the private energy system driving the Binn Eco Park development.

The new EfW will enable Paprec Energies Binn to provide a renewable and stable electricity or heat source to businesses and other energy users. Half of the feedstock will come from residual waste produced within surrounding local authority area as part of a 15-year contract awarded to Paprec by Perth and Kinross Council last year.

Along with the 200 jobs created for its construction phase, the new EfW will also generate 30 long-term skilled posts once the facility is operational in early 2026. Maximising the local content is a core focus of Paprec Energies Binn with 60% of the civil works being managed by locally-based companies or branches.

The plant’s energy systems will also enable a range of other low carbon, circular economy and controlled environment agriculture business development opportunities within the Binn Eco Park.

Sebastien Petithuguenin, CEO of Paprec Energies said: “We’re delighted to be working closely with Binn Group to bring this new, exciting project to fruition. Paprec Engineering has formidable experience in the design, construction and commissioning of EfW facilities. We have built more than 200 such plants over recent years and have been behind the construction of a third of all UK EfW facilities.    When this facility goes live in early 2026, it will become the third EfW plant operated by Paprec within the UK.

“The construction of the EfW facility is part of a significant investment which builds on the strong working partnership between PAPREC and Binn Group, focused on innovating to meet key environmental challenges and decarbonise the economy.The long term commitment of Perth & Kinross Council, including our 15-year partnership to treat local residual waste, was a key factor behind our major investment in this ambitious project.

“This exciting project being led by Paprec Energies Binn is at the forefront of developing waste to energy plants with high environmental and social benefits for the local community.”

Allan MacGregor, Binn Group CEO, said: “We’re excited that construction has begun on this new EfW facility, which will be transformational in driving business growth, creating new jobs and supporting further investment in the Eco Park and the wider Perthshire economy. This new facility will be crucial in creating a cleaner solution for managing non-recyclable waste enabling businesses and local authorities to meet their legal obligations as Scotland continues its transition away from landfill waste in advance of next year’s landfill ban. It will also create a clean source of energy which will benefit local businesses and our wider community.”

Perth and Kinross Council leader, Councillor Grant Laing, said: “This is a ground-breaking project and it is fantastic to see work getting underway. The investment in the Binn Eco Park at Glenfarg will support local jobs and also create a generous Community Benefit Fund.

“As a Council, we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint and encouraging our residents to recycle as much as possible. However there is some waste that cannot be recycled. Rather than sending this to landfill, this energy to waste system will create heat and electricity while reducing carbon emissions.”