City’s waste is used to generate electricity at new Glasgow Southside energy hub

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken and Phil Piddington, managing director of Viridor, at the official opening of the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre.

The Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) at Polmadie was opened by Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow City Council.

The site is the first of its kind in Scotland and will be operated by Viridor, the biggest UK-owned recycling and energy recovery company, through a 25-year partnership with Scotland’s largest local authority.

Using state-of-the-art technology, the city’s waste will be used to generate electricity.

The state-of-the art facility has the capability to generate enough electricty to power around 26,500 homes.

The GRREC has the ability to extract recyclable material from general waste and boost Glasgow’s overall recycling rates, diverting 90 per cent of all council waste from landfill and saving 90,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

Councillor Aitken said: “Today marks a historic milestone for Glasgow as it becomes a leader in recycling and renewable energy technology.

“The GRREC will transform the way in which we manage waste in our city and will be crucial to helping us deliver against the ban on municipal waste going to landfill due to come into effect in 2021.

“Our commitment to the GRREC demonstrates how the council will work with Viridor and our partners in the coming years to ensure Glasgow can take further major steps towards becoming the most sustainable city in Europe.”

Guests attending the official opening were given a guided tour of the impressive new facility.

The GRREC site covers 17 acres – the equivalent of 14 football pitches.

The project has also resulted in the creation of 250 jobs and 18 new apprenticeships.

Phil Piddington, managing director at Viridor, said: “The GRREC epitomises Viridor’s vision of attaching a real purpose to all waste – separating valuable recyclable material, food and organic waste and giving waste which cannot be recycled a crucial role in generating low carbon electricity.

“In this way, we contribute to Glasgow and Scotland’s goals in terms of both resource and energy efficiency, translating ambition into action and achievement.

“This new plant is an environmental success story and provides a massive carbon reduction bonus for the city as we play our part in efforts to tackle climate change.”