£13m Wednesbury power station given the go-ahead

The landmark project in Portway Road, Wednesbury was unanimously approved at Sandwell Council's planning committee.

The site's current owners, Humphries Holdings, a demolition firm and their partners Broadcrown will work together to turn two empty industrial units into a power plant that will operate 24 hours a day.

Waste will be delivered to the plant, weighed, recorded and sorted to remove rubble or metal components.

Materials will also be removed and taken elsewhere to be recycled.

Plans for the site include the construction of a 91ft-high chimney, new offices and a gatehouse.

The site is expected to process around 60,000 tons of waste every year from building sites and local industry, as well as biomass and some waste from other authority's in the Black Country.

The majority of the waste it will process would usually be sent to landfill, but by using a process known as gasification, it will be turned into fuel using steam that will power generators.

It is estimated that each year around 90 per cent of the waste will be turned into heat and 3.5 megawatts of electricity that will be pumped back into the grid.

Ward Councillor Peter Hughes said: "The plant will be the first of its kind in the UK.

"This area was at the forefront of the industrial revolution and this development will put the town back in the forefront for renewable energy."

At an exhibition held in September residents welcomed the plans for the former engineering site to be turned into a power station, despite an increase in traffic that could see 44 truck movements a day.

Fellow Wednesbury Councillor Elaine Costigan added: "I'm so pleased with the decision. They've done similar jobs all over the world. It's going to be great for the area."

She also revealed that the council is now in talks with the company to provide electricity and heat for council buildings including Wednesbury's town hall and leisure centre, which is currently under construction.

The new site will provide 20 new jobs and will also establish itself as a centre for apprenticeships in the renewable industry's sector.

Chris Connors, manager of business development for Broadcrown said: "We would like to thank everyone in the local community that has shown support for us."

He added that work was likely to begin next spring with the site ready to generate power by 2016.