THE waste plant proposed for a site in Basildon would produce material which could be burned to generate electricity.

Essex County Council has revived plans for a mechanical biological treatment plant in Courtauld Road, Basildon, capable of handling 380,000 tonnes of household waste from across the county.

Recyclable material would be removed and the rest turned into a compost-like substance which might be buried in landfill tips.

However, County Hall is also looking at the possibility of turning it into pellets which could be be burned to generate power.

The details emerged days after the county council confirmed it was looking at contractors to run a possible site.

Detailed plans have yet to be submitted, but the news has already aroused new concerns among green campaigners.

They fear the move could lead to some form of incineration plant, at Courtauld Road or another site in Essex.

The council has promised it will not accept an incinerator plant which burns untreated waste, but has never completely ruled out the burning a by-product of other plants, in the form of solid recovered fuel.

A second plant could also be created at Courtauld Road to deal with food and green waste.

Rob Hill, of Davenants, Pitsea, was a leading campaigner last time the council tried to get an incineration plant on the Courtauld Road site.

He said: “Now there are questions on why the county council has spent millions of pounds on plans, consultants and several consultations, when what we are now going to get is something completely different.

“This is of great concern.”

County Hall is inviting companies to tender for two contracts to build waste plants at Courtauld Road.

A report on the tender process released says: “With an eye to the future, the facility will have the additional ability to switch into a mode whereby a significant proportion of the waste stream can be turned into a solid recovered fuel.

“This can be used by some thermal treatment plants to create electricity. This is to give the county council flexibility, should a market emerge for its beneficial use.”

The report says the second plant would rot down food and garden waste and turn it into compost, a process which would also produce bio-gas which can also be used to generate electricity.