The £150 million Aberdeen incinerator, officially known as the Ness Energy from Waste (EfW) facility, has been abruptly shut down following a dispute between its operator Indaver and partner company Acciona. The closure, which began as a routine maintenance stop in mid-June, has now left the future of the facility in doubt, with all non-recyclable waste from Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, and Moray councils being redirected to landfill sites.
A spokesperson for Indaver stated:
“Indaver can confirm that, due to ongoing issues the company is experiencing in relation to its operations at the Ness waste-to-energy facility in Aberdeen, Scotland, the company is reviewing its future involvement in the project. The company will not be providing further comment at this time.”
Aberdeen City Council added:
“Due to an issue between EFW Ness Ltd and its operating sub-contractor, the Ness Energy from Waste facility is currently closed. Waste is being diverted to an alternative disposal facility. Residents should continue to put their bins out as normal.”
Controversy over location and community impact
Since its inception, the incinerator’s location in the East Tullos area, close to the deprived community of Torry, has sparked fierce opposition. Campaigners and local residents have long argued that the facility exposes their neighbourhood to pollution and industrial blight, compounding decades of environmental injustice.
Torry resident and campaigner Ishbel Shand described the incinerator as:
“A grotesque building, squatting in our community like a great cockroach, and converting non-renewable natural resources into toxic ash and carbon dioxide. It is a malign symbol of the rampant consumerism that is destroying our planet. This isn’t energy from waste – it exists to waste energy. How on earth did this ever become acceptable?”
Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman added:
“For decades, Torry has borne the brunt of industrial development without seeing the benefits. Old Torry was demolished for oil and gas developments in the 70s. Torry lost its beach at Nigg Bay to the South Harbour and it has to deal with the waste from the city and the shire – with the incinerator and sewage works looming over communities. With life expectancy in Torry more than 10 years lower than elsewhere in Aberdeen, this inequality and injustice must stop. We need an end to private profiteering and fossil capitalism. Torry needs justice.”
The immediate effect of the shutdown is that waste is being sent to landfill, a move that undermines Scotland’s landfill ban set to come into force at the end of the year. The Scottish Government has already placed a moratorium on new incinerators, meaning the Aberdeen plant could be one of the last of its kind in the country.
It remains unclear whether the facility will reopen, be sold, or be repurposed. Local authorities have stated they can recoup costs from sending waste elsewhere, but the long-term solution for managing non-recyclable waste in the region remains uncertain.
