14th December 2009: 

Construction work will begin today on the Dublin Waste to Energy plant at Poolbeg and is expected to take three years to complete.  The project which is currently estimated to cost approximately €350 million, will employ up to 500 people on site at peak construction and approximately 60 others in permanent jobs at the plant when it opens. 

The plant will reduce our dependence on landfill and thereby contribute towards reaching Ireland’s climate change targets.

The Dublin Waste to Energy plant is part of a long term integrated plan for the management of Dublin’s Waste.  It will generate heat and electricity from up to 600,000 tonnes of waste that would otherwise go to landfill, generating enough electricity for up to 50,000 homes as well as district heating potential for the equivalent of up to an additional 60,000 homes. 
 
The project is a joint venture Public Private Project between Dublin City Council (acting on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities) and Dublin Waste to Energy Ltd; a joint venture of Covanta Energy and DONG Energy Generation A/S Denmark. 

The Dublin Local Authorities secured the site and the company is responsible for the financing, building and operation of the facility being built at Poolbeg.

The Dublin Waste Plan has recycling as its cornerstone and includes thermal treatment to reduce reliance on landfill. Recycling in the Dublin region has risen from 8% ten years ago to over 40% today and the Region is on track to achieve its aim of reaching 59%. 

Dublin ‘s current Waste Plan is similar in strategy to the Waste Plans of many of Europe’s top recycling cities; including Stockholm, the European Green Capital 2010, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Oslo and Freiburg. 

Dublin Waste to Energy Ltd is in the process of establishing a Community Gain Fund of 3% of the capital cost of the plant to finance facilities or services in the area to benefit the local community.  When the plant opens, an additional €1 will be contributed to the Community Gain Fund for every tonne of waste treated at the plant. 

Decisions on how the money will be spent will be made by a Community Liaison Committee, made up of three nominees from the local community, three elected representatives from Dublin City Council, two officials from Dublin City Council, one representative from the plant’s operator and an independent Chairperson.

"Under the terms of the Contract, the four Dublin local authorities will recover energy from 320,000 tonnes of waste from the region annually that would otherwise go to landfill,” says Seamus Lyons, Assistant City Manager, Dublin City Council. “We’re confident that this plant will meet the needs of the region for the next twenty five years.”

The plant has been designed to provide highly efficient thermal treatment and is classified as 'recovery' in line with the new criteria outlined in the revised EU Waste Framework Directive.

Regular Open Days for the local community and the wider public to keep everyone up to date with progress, will continue to be held during construction.  The next Open Day will be on Saturday 30th January 2010 in Clanna Gael Fontenoy GAA Club, Irishtown, Dublin 4. 

All enquiries regarding the Dublin Waste to Energy project can be made to Lo Call: 1890 707 747 or by email to info@dublinwastetoenergy.ie or visit http://www.dublinwastetoenergy.ie/.