Parliament Workbench
Data: Motions & questions to 19 Nov 2026

Written Question · S5W-31530 · Session 5

What the tonnage capacity for incinerators has been in each year since 2007, and what the projected annual capacity is for the period to 20…

Answered Asked by Maurice Golden Con Lodged 1 Sep 2020

The question

To ask the Scottish Government what the tonnage capacity for incinerators has been in each year since 2007, and what the projected annual capacity is for the period to 2024.

The answer

Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 Sep 2020 · 13 days after it was lodged, on time

The following table shows the permitted incineration capacity, which is higher than the actual throughput, for each year since 2007. The total waste incineration capacity includes waste incineration facilities for clinical, municipal, biomass (e.g. wood waste), tyre and poultry litter wastes.
Several potential municipal and biomass facilities with an environmental permit are at different stages of development. Not all permitted facilities will reach financial close and construction. The permitted capacity of municipal waste incineration facilities in the commissioning or construction stages of development is around 0.5 million tonnes. The permitted capacity of waste incineration facilities where construction has not started is 0.8 million tonnes for municipal waste and 42,000 tonnes for biomass.
Permit start (Year)
Total permitted waste incineration capacity (million tonnes)
Biomass permitted incineration capacity (million tonnes)
Municipal waste incineration capacity (million tonnes)
2007
1.1
0.9
0.2
2008
1.1
0.9
0.2
2009
1.1
0.9
0.2
2010
1.1
0.9
0.2
2011
1.4
0.9
0.5
2012
2.0
1.4
0.5
2013
2.0
1.4
0.5
2014
2.2
1.4
0.7
2015
2.4
1.4
0.7
2016
2.8
1.4
1.1
2017
2.8
1.4
1.1
2018
3.0
1.4
1.4
2019
3.6
1.4
1.9
2020
3.9
1.4
2.1

In the Official Report

No contribution in the Official Report cites S5W-31530 by reference.