In 2006, Suffolk County Council started to look for a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to landfill and replace it with a technology that would put Suffolk’s waste to good use.

Following extensive research and a detailed tendering process, the council signed contracts with SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd to build and then run an energy-from-waste facility to deal with the county’s waste for the next 25 years.

The Suffolk energy-from-waste facility uses the waste left after recycling – from homes and some businesses across Suffolk – to generate electricity. This reduces the amount of waste that goes to landfill and the associated cost to the council tax payer.

SUEZ (formerly SITA UK) provides the day-to-day operation and maintenance services for the facility. Work started on site in January 2012 and the facility began operating in December 2014.