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Scheme is expected to process up to 202,000 tonnes of waste per annum and generate 15 megawatts of electricity
Planning permission has been granted for Powerfuel Portland Limited’s Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Portland Port, following a recovered appeal. The project, designed by tor&co, is set to address Dorset’s residual waste needs and forms part of a £150 million investment in the area.
Tor&co, who have been involved in the project since 2019, led the architectural design of the facility and provided input across planning, environmental, and heritage disciplines. The ERF is expected to process up to 202,000 tonnes of waste per annum and generate 15 megawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 30,000 homes. The facility will also provide shore power to vessels at Portland Port and has the potential to supply heat to local institutions, including prisons, via a district heating network.
The initial application, submitted to Dorset Council in 2020, was refused in 2023. However, the Secretary of State upheld the appeal after a public inquiry, concluding that the facility would not appear out of scale or out of place in its setting. The inspector noted the design’s “clear advantages” over alternative sites.
Local political opposition remains strong. Cllr Nick Ireland, leader of Dorset Council, said in the Dorset Echo: “It is regrettable that the Deputy Prime Minister has overridden the decision of Dorset Council to refuse the planning application for the incinerator. This ignores the views of thousands of Dorset residents who oppose the burning of waste on the Jurassic coastline for environmental, economic, and health reasons.”
Cllr Sue Cocking, Chair of Portland Town Council, and Cllr Jon Orrell, Mayor of Weymouth, issued a joint statement expressing their disappointment with the decision: “Both Portland and Weymouth Town Councils are shocked and disappointed that despite repeated opposition and numerous concerns raised by both Councils, local groups, and residents, the planning permission for the development of an energy recovery facility at Portland Port has been granted.”
The facility is designed with future flexibility, including potential carbon capture technology.
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