PLANS have been revealed to build a £30m park in Kidderminster to generate low carbon energy and recover plastic waste.
A company set up to run the project, Power Generation Midlands (PGM), wants to develop an "energy and resource park" on land next to the Liberty Aluminium foundry in Stourport Road.
The park would include an energy centre, using non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste from the local area to generate low carbon energy, and a plastics recovery plant to turn plastic waste into a material that can then be recycled into new products.
Bosses at PGM say the park could divert around 105,000 tonnes of waste from landfill every year, including 30,000 tonnes of plastic which could be turned into granules for new products such as garden furniture and decking.
PGM's Damian Courtney said: “The energy and resource park will take waste from the local area which is destined for landfill and, rather than burying it in the ground, we’ll use it to create low carbon energy, helping to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
"We’re also excited to be providing a solution for plastic waste which is a huge problem facing society."
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As part of the plans, energy produced at the park would be used to supply electricity and heat to the foundry next door.
The park itself is expected to create 60 construction jobs and 25 permanent jobs once complete, while the power provided to Liberty Aluminium would allow the foundry to expand its operations in the town - investing £8m and creating a further 100 jobs.
Ian Whale, divisional managing director at Liberty Aluminium, said: “This is a really exciting initiative which could not only create local jobs but help increase recycling and divert waste from landfill.
"We’re keen to explore how the proposed Energy & Resource Park could help our long term strategy to become carbon neutral by 2030 through the provision of low carbon energy.
"Energy is a big cost to our business and lower prices will make us more competitive, win more business and create more jobs.”
PGM also plans to develop an education facility at the park to enable local schools to visit and learn about low carbon energy.
The company hopes to submit an official planning application to Worcestershire County Council this summer.
If the application is approved, the project is expected to take up to two years to build.
A public consultation on the plans is now under way and newsletters have been sent to more than 5,000 households and businesses in Kidderminster.
Visit powergenerationmidlands.co.uk to fill out an online questionnaire before June 26.
What do you think of the plans? Email your thoughts to editorial@kidderminstershuttle.co.uk.
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