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Councils Divided Over Multimillion-Pound Waste Incinerator Contract
27 Oct
Summary
- Councils to decide on continued involvement in waste incinerator project
- New savings secured, but environmental concerns remain
- Councils will make decision based on "business case", not net zero goals
As of October 27th, 2025, the councils involved in the Tees Valley Energy Recovery Facility (TVERF) project are facing a critical decision on their continued participation. The TVERF, set to be built at Teesworks near Grangetown, Redcar, would process household waste from seven local authorities.
According to Durham County Council leader Andrew Husband, a new multimillion-pound savings deal has been secured, prompting the councils to re-evaluate whether the project is "too good to turn down." However, the plan has faced environmental opposition, with Green Party councillor Jonathan Elmer describing it as an "environmental disaster."
Despite these concerns, Husband stated that the councils will base their decision on the "business case" rather than net zero goals. He emphasized that they were not elected to make decisions based on climate change considerations.
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The seven councils commissioning the TVERF, including Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Redcar and Cleveland, and Stockton, are expected to sign contracts for the project in early 2026. They claim the appointment of operator Viridor has allowed for significant cost savings, though Viridor has declined to comment due to the ongoing procurement process.
