Encyclis and Beauparc have announced a partnership deal to build the country's first processing plant for bottom ash from the waste-to-energy process.The €35m plant, which is due to be completed in 2025, will be located at the Knockharley waste management complex in Co Meath.
Construction of the plant is now underway and will support around 150 jobs over the course of the building process and once operational, the plant will employ 15 people. Aggregates derived from bottom ash are not currently approved for use in Ireland - as they are in the UK and a number of European countries - but Encyclis and Beauparc are hopeful that this restriction may be reviewed.
"To achieve a more circular economy, we must maximise the utilisation of existing resources and reduce our reliance on mining virgin resources. For both environmental and economic reasons, it's important that Ireland has the ability to manage, process and make best use of its own waste by recovering valuable resources from it," he said.