energy
Environment Agency varies permit for Portland energy recovery facility after 296 comments
The regulator has allowed Powerfuel Portland Limited to change the waste types its proposed Dorset incinerator can burn, following a second consultation that drew about 296 responses.
The Environment Agency has issued a permit variation allowing Powerfuel Portland Limited to change the waste types that can be incinerated at its proposed energy recovery facility at Portland Port in Dorset.
The regulator announced the decision on 12 October 2026. It said a consultation on its draft decision ran from 19 June to 31 July 2026 and drew about 296 comments.
The Agency said it had examined concerns raised by members of the public, including emissions to air, odour, noise and the storage and handling of waste, and was satisfied that effective controls would be in place.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "Protecting the environment and enabling waste infrastructure go hand-in-hand."
The spokesperson added: "We are satisfied that the permit for Portland Powerfuel will ensure a high level of protection for the environment."
The decision
The variation notice, published on GOV.UK on 12 October 2026, carries permit number EPR/AP3304SZ/V002 and covers the Portland Energy Recovery Facility under the Industrial Emissions Directive. The page publishes two documents, a variation notice and a decision document.
The notice page names the operator as Portland Powerfuel Limited, while the Agency's news story and the original permit page name the company as Powerfuel Portland Limited. Companies House lists Powerfuel Portland Limited as an active private limited company, number 11831492, registered in London.
The Environment Agency said it can only refuse a permit application if it fails one or more legal requirements under environmental legislation, including where it would cause significant harm to the environment or human health. Where all requirements are met, it said, it is legally obliged to issue a permit.
The regulator also said planning and permitting are separate processes, and that it cannot consider planning matters such as the suitability of the location or traffic.
Two consultations
The variation is the second stage in a permitting process that began with the original permit, EPR/AP3304SZ/A001, issued on 27 February 2025 for the facility at Castletown.
A first consultation on the variation application ran from 5 November to 18 December 2025 and received about 685 comments, according to the Agency. On 19 June 2026 the regulator announced it was minded to issue the variation and opened a second consultation on its draft decision, which closed at 11:59pm on 31 July 2026.
| Consultation | Comments received |
|---|---|
| Variation application (Nov to Dec 2025) | 685 |
| Draft decision (Jun to Jul 2026) | 296 |
At the June announcement, an Agency spokesperson said it had considered all consultation responses carefully. The regulator noted at that stage that it can grant an environmental permit without planning permission having been granted.
Planning history
The scheme's planning consent came through a recovered appeal. Dorset Council, as waste planning authority, refused the application on 24 March 2023 for three reasons, according to a Court of Appeal judgment that set out the history. A planning inspector held a public inquiry in December 2023 that sat for 11 days, and the Secretary of State issued a decision letter granting permission on 16 September 2024.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the decision letter and inspector's report the same day. The consented scheme includes cable routes to ship berths and to an existing off-site electrical sub-station, with site access through Portland Port from Castletown.
Scale of the facility
The Court of Appeal judgment recorded that the facility would treat up to 202,000 tonnes of waste a year, burning non-hazardous residual waste from local authority and commercial and industrial sources, and produce about 15MWe of electricity for export to the national grid.
Powerfuel Portland's own website describes the planning application as seeking a 183,000 tonne a year facility, with a maximum of 202,000 tonnes a year, rated at 15MWe. The company says the project represents a £150m private sector investment in Portland and that construction would support around 300 direct and 250 indirect jobs.
The Environment Agency said the final permit and decision document are available to view on GOV.UK.
On the record: Environment Agency, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Sources
- Environment Agency (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Environment Agency (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Environment Agency (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Environment Agency (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Companies House (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (GOV.UK) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- The National Archives (Find Case Law) (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
- Powerfuel Portland Ltd (opens in a new tab) (accessed 2026-10-13)
This story was researched from the primary sources above and checked against them before publication. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it promptly.
