AN energy company hoping to build a controversial waste-burning power plant is eyeing up sites in Newport to recycle the resulting ash and for a waste transfer site.

Covanta Energy Limited recently submitted controversial plans for a £400 million waste incinerating power plant at Cwmbargoed, near Merthyr Tydfil.

If approved, the Brig y Cwm plant, which has sparked considerable local opposition in the Valleys, could generate 70 mega watts of electricity - enough to power 180,000 homes - by burning rubbish which cannot be recycled and which would normally be sent to landfill.

But company plans recently submitted to the Infrastructure Planning Committee, which is considering the incinerator proposals, now show Covanta Energy has also identified Newport as a possible location for an ash recycling facility dealing with 187,500 tonnes of ash a year from the incinerator.

It is also considering building a waste transfer station at Newport Docks, which would transfer non-hazardous household, commercial and industrial waste to Brig y Cwm by rail.

Covanta Energy told the Argus it could not confirm which Newport sites were under consideration, but said it was looking at industrial areas in the city.

A statement from the company said the recycled ash was a ‘non hazardous’ material left after rubbish was been incinerated, and is often re-used by the construction industry, such as for road building and making concrete.

It said all ash would be transported from Cwmbargoed by rail in sealed containers so no dust would escape.

But Gwent environmental campaigners say they have concerns over the prospect of thousands of tonnes of ash being brought into Newport each year.

Monmouth-based Dr Dick Van Steenis has researched industrial air pollution for 16 years.

He said: "There's going to be an awful lot of ash, and there are still rows going on about whether it’s safe for that sort of thing to be used in roads and building."

Newport's Pippa Bartolotti, deputy leader of the Green Party in Wales, said: "Incineration is bad, there is no need for us to be doing it. They are flying an idea to put something pretty disgusting in Newport. It’s not the right way for us to be going. We should be reducing, recycling and reusing.

“The worst thing about it is that it will be waste from elsewhere. There will be very strong opposition.”

Covanta said it would keep the public informed before it submitted any planning applications.

EDITORIAL COMMENT: A hard sell

NEWS that a company which specialises in obtaining energy from waste wants to build a transfer station and ash recycling centre in Newport, is bound to cause concern.

Covanta Energy Limited is eyeing up sites in Newport to support the controversial £400m waste incinerating plant it wants to build near Merthyr Tydfil.

Ash would be transported to Newport to be recycled for use in road building and concrete production.

Meanwhile, waste would be collected at a site in Newport for transfer to Merthyr.

Covanta claims the Merthyr plant would instantly make Wales a UK leader in creating energy from a renewable source. It also says it will save the need for significant amounts of waste to go to landfill.

So it has plus points, but the plan also has many critics and in our view Covanta may have to work hard to convince Newport people of the benefits.