Plans To Replace Ageing City Incinerator

20 February 2026
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Richard PriceWest Midlands


Plans to replace an with a more efficient one are because of be taken a look at by city leaders.


A brand-new energy healing plant, for Hanford, near Stoke City's Bet365 Stadium in Stoke-on-Trent, would power the equivalent of about 50,000 homes, the authority stated.


They added it could likewise generate a "considerable" earnings which could be reinvested into local recycling and net no plans.


The contract for the existing incinerator at Hanford ends in March 2030, when it will be 35 years old and at the end of its functional life.


The job could also be a major contributor to the city's district heating network to supply public buildings with low-carbon heating and warm water, powered by geothermal energy, a representative said.


The city council's cabinet is being asked to start an official procurement procedure to find an organisation to partner with, who could invest, design, build and run the new facility.


That procedure was expected to take 18 months, with the proposed facility set up to be up and running in 2032.


Cabinet member Finlay Gordon-McCusker said the present facility had burnt more than four million tonnes of rubbish because it opened in 1995, providing a "sustainable alternative" to landfill.


The council desired to think about an "entrepreneurial" technique to running the facility, he included.


Waste boost


This would involve a more substantial upfront investment than other options, Gordon-McCusker said.


But it was anticipated that the authority would make an earnings from the scheme in the longer term, he claimed, through the sale of electricity and heat in addition to charges charged to other organisations using the website for their waste.


The new site could deal with about 230,000-290,000 tonnes of waste each year, which would be an increase of between 10-38% of present levels.


A public consultation will run during March and April.