Aberdeen incinerator closes for second time in six months

Aberdeen’s energy from waste incinerator has been closed for the second time in six months.

The £150m site opened last year and was designed to turn non-recyclable refuse from Aberdeen city, Shire and Moray into electricity.

The incinerator is currently out of service after the council ended the contract of the former operator, EFW Ness.

The city’s waste is now being taken to a landfill in Peterhead.

It is the second time the facility has closed this year after the previous operator, Indaver, reviewed its involvement due to “ongoing issues” in June.

There is currently no timescale on when the plant will open again, although the contract to operate it has already been awarded to Suez, which runs recycling sites in the city.

The company will be the third different operator to operate the facility since it opened.

An Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the Energy from Waste contract has ended.

“An operator has taken control of the facility on an interim basis, and staff will transfer across.

“During this transition period, the site will be closed temporarily and waste diverted to an alternative disposal facility. There is not expected to be any disruption to refuse collection services. Local authority partners are working towards appointing a long-term operator.”

EFW Ness has said it considers the termination “wrongful” and intends to contest the decision.

A spokesman for the company said: “EFW Ness Ltd delivered the NESS Energy from Waste facility as a world-class project that entered operation in December 2023, generating more electricity and delivering greater revenues to Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray Councils than anticipated, while reducing landfill for the region.

“After the operator abandoned the site in June 2025, EFW took control, in collaboration with the council, to run the facility at full capacity. Despite this, the Council terminated the contract on December 8, 2025, a decision which EFW considers wrongful and intends to contest.”

John Scanlon, chief executive of SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, said his company, which is taking over the contract for the facility, has a strong record of operating in similar sites.

“SUEZ has a strong track record in operating safe, compliant and efficient energy-from-waste (EfW) facilities across the UK and Isle of Man, and we look forward to utilising this technical expertise to support the councils of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray with the management and operation of Ness EfW on an interim contract,” he said.

“We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with Aberdeen City Council through the management of their waste and recycling, delivering increased recycling rates and introducing reuse to the benefit of Aberdeen residents, and we look forward to continuing this collaborative partnership.”