North East facility - FAQs

Yes. The facility was granted planning approval by the Planning Inspectorate in December 2022. You can view of a copy of the Planning Inspectorate’s detailed Appeal Decision document on its website.

Yes. This was considered extensively. In his Appeal Decision report, the Planning Inspector states:

“I have concluded that the appeal scheme would not materially harm human health and that it would not have an unacceptable environmental impact.” (paragraph 94)

In reaching this decision the Planning Inspectorate considered detailed submissions from Fornax, Durham County Council, local residents’ groups and other stakeholders. 

It looked closely at the evidence on a range of issues, particularly the effects on air quality and health. This included an independent review of Fornax’s Air Quality Assessment work commissioned by Durham County Council. This independent review to fact check Fornax’s assessment was undertaken by AECOM, which is one of the world’s leading environmental consultancies.

Garry Gray, Technical Director, Air Quality and Permitting, AECOM, informed both the Committee at the original planning meeting and at the subsequent appeal that the technical material which had been submitted regarding emissions to air and associated risks to health had been reviewed and the methodologies had been compared to what was normally required by the Environment Agency.

AECOM had worked through the calculations and underlying assumptions and Mr Gray confirmed that they held up to the standard which was usually expected, they covered the right material, the methods were appropriate, and the conclusions were justified by the calculations behind them.

The Planning Inspector’s Appeal Decision report makes a number of detailed statements about air quality and human health which informed his decision to grant approval. Examples are shown below:

In determining the application Durham County Council took independent advice from AECOM, who reviewed the calculations and underlying assumptions in the air quality assessment. AECOM confirmed that these held up to the standard that was usually expected, they covered the right material, the methods were appropriate, and the conclusions were justified by the underlying calculations.” (paragraph 30)

“The appellant undertook detailed air quality modelling using the AERMOD 7 dispersion model, with a stack height of 30m, to predict the impacts associated with emissions from the proposed facility. The predicted maximum off-site concentrations were assessed as not significant and well below the relevant air quality standards for all the pollutants assessed. The predicted process contributions were not significant compared with the critical levels for NOx, SO2, NH3, HF. Critical loads for nutrient nitrogen deposition and acidification at the local wildlife sites were also considered and assessed as insignificant.” (paragraph 33)

“The possible impacts on human health arising from dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs emitted from the facility were assessed under the worst-case scenario…this demonstrated that for the maximally exposed individual, exposure to dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs would not be significant.” (paragraph 35)

“The combined effect of process emissions with the impact of road traffic associated with the proposed facility would not be likely to have a significant adverse effect on local air quality.” (paragraph 38)

“Subject to the imposition of appropriate planning conditions, and assuming effective pollution controls, I am satisfied that the proposed development would not lead to unacceptable levels of air quality.” (paragraph 48)

Not at this stage. An application has been submitted to the Environment Agency (EA) in spring 2025. 

In June/July 2025 the EA undertook a consultation around this application. The EA is currently reviewing the application, alongside the feedback from this consultation. As part of that process, we will respond to any requests from the EA for further information about our plans. 

The Environment Agency does not set a specific timetable for how long it will take to consider permit applications.

High temperature thermal treatment is the use of extreme heat (between 850°C – 1400°C) to alter the physical, chemical, or biological properties of a material. 

It covers a range of technologies and processes that use heat to break down, destroy, or capture energy from waste materials.

With stricter regulations on waste disposal, high temperature thermal treatment provides the only sustainable and legally compliant way to manage the type of waste Fornax accepts for treatment.

The main benefits of high temperature thermal treatment are: 

• Safe destruction: High temperatures destroy toxic compounds to render inert and sterilise medical waste, which prevents contamination.
• Volume reduction: Heating waste significantly reduces its volume by 90%, decreasing the need for landfill space. 
• Energy recovery: Thermal processes allow energy to be recovered in the form of heat, electricity, or fuel, offsetting the use of fossil fuels.
• Reduced greenhouse gases: High temperature thermal treatment produces fewer greenhouse gases than sending material to landfill.

Fornax will employ a sophisticated, best-in-class multi-stage process for the thermal destruction of the chemical and industrial waste treated on site. 

Each of these stages will be highly controlled and closely monitored and plays a critical role in destroying the vast majority of elements such as dioxins, furans and PCBs, which would be produced if the waste material was not treated correctly.

This means that emissions of materials like NOx and PM10s will be within the limits set by the Industrial Emissions Directive, which is 0.1ng I-TEQ/Nm3 (0.1ng is one billionth of one gram).

Stage 1 – Waste acceptance criteria

Before any waste material is heat treated, the specialist Fornax team will assess the precise mix of waste streams arriving at the site and ensure that the sealed containers are heat-treated appropriately. 

This careful choreography means the time any container of waste spends on site is minimised and the process is optimised. 

Stage 2 – Rotating Kiln

The waste, which arrives on site in sealed airtight containers, or in 770 litre clinical waste bins, is carefully fed into the rotating kiln via a controlled bin lift and hopper system.

The kiln heats the material at a controlled temperature which is a minimum of 850°C. The kiln has been specifically designed to treat a maximum of 1.25 tonnes of waste an hour, and this controls the capacity of the whole system. 

The kiln is angled on a gentle downslope of three degrees to aerate and mix the waste before it reaches the secondary combustion chamber.

Stage 3 – Secondary Combustion Chamber

The waste is then heat treated at a temperature between 1100°C and 1400°C in the secondary combustion chamber under carefully controlled conditions.

This converts the waste material into gases and small particulates, which would then be captured by best-in-class abatement systems to prevent their release to air. Pathogens, bacteria and viruses from infectious clinical waste are killed at this point.

Three key compounds are added during this phase to neutralise and minimise emissions, 

• Hydrated lime, which converts gaseous pollutants into solid particulates which are then captured in the baghouse particulate filter
• Liquid ammonia, which reacts with the gases to form soluble ammonium sulfates which are also subsequently captured in the baghouse particulate filter
• Activated carbon, which mixes with the hydrated lime to traps odorous gases and other VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) by physically absorbing them.

This industry standard dry scrubbing process is recognised as the most effective abatement process for incineration and is regarded as BAT (best available technology) as confirmed by the Planning Inspector in his summary paper

The residual ash collected during this process is then disposed of at a specialist hazardous waste ash facility.

Stage 4 – Emission via the stack 

Once all these processes are completed the flue gas emissions are further filtered through a 200-bag filtration process and emissions are then released through the 30m-high stack and dispersed into the air.

The stack has been designed and installed at a height of 30m as detailed emissions modelling studies showed that this was within the optimum height range (26-33m) recommended for dispersal into the air. This optimum height maximises the dispersal of the emissions and reduces impact on the environment. The stack height is calculated using a large number of different inputs including building height, topography, moisture, flu gas volumes, and propulsion.

Continuous emissions monitoring throughout the process

CEMS (Continuous Emissions Monitoring System) technology will be in place at every stage of the treatment process. CEMS enables us to continuously, automatically, and accurately monitor pollutant emissions, ensuring strict adherence to environmental regulations and safe operation by providing real-time data covering all key pollutants of concern from clinical and hazardous waste incineration processes. 

This data will be monitored in real time and all equipment controlled by Fornax’s specialist team based in the control room on site.

The whole process will be regulated by the Environment Agency.

The stack is 30m high. This was confirmed as correct by the independent air emissions study done by AECOM and commissioned by Durham County Council during the planning appeal.

The plant has a maximum incineration capacity of 10,500 tonnes of clinical and hazardous waste per year.

There will be no odour from the plant. All waste is stored indoors in a warehouse with negative air pressure. Fornax have designed an air extraction system to ensure the warehouse air is extracted and/or used in the combustion process, and the liquid ammonia used in the BAT dry scrubbing process also negates odours. This draws air inside the warehouse building rather than allowing air to escape.

The facility has been designed to minimise noise. All aspects of the thermal treatment process will be housed inside the Fornax facility and operates at acceptable noise levels as approved and verified by the Planning Inspector in his summary paper. All vehicles bringing waste to site will be unloaded through screened dock levellers.

The plant will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, deliveries will be limited to 6am until 10pm Monday to Friday, and from 6am until noon on Saturday and Sundays. There will be no deliveries on Bank Holidays. The site is restricted to an average of 15 HGV movements in and 15 movements out per day as determined by the Planning Inspector’s summary and in line with the planning conditions set by Durham County Council.

The Fornax North East plant in County Durham will create 40 full-time, quality, skilled roles. Around 120 jobs have been supported during the facility’s construction. 

All roles at the plant will be advertised locally to ensure people in the North East have an opportunity to work at the facility. Recruitment will begin in earnest later in 2025.

There are also supplier and sub-contractor opportunities for businesses in the region, along with training, education and research opportunities. 

To find out more about any of these opportunities, email info@fornax.co.uk

We destroy selected hazardous and clinical waste streams that by current UK law have to be incinerated at high temperature. 

Around 70% of the waste treated in the plant will be clinical waste – generated in hospitals, labs, and care homes from across the North East and North Yorkshire. The remaining 30% will be classed as hazardous waste.

Clinical waste treated in the facility will include used needles and blades, scrubs, and surgical materials from clinical theatres.

Hazardous waste will comprise waste medicines, such as cancer drugs, pharmaceutical waste, and some packaging, along with some plastics from discarded electricals, such as toasters and kettles, as well as paints and DIY chemicals, cleaning products from industrial settings, and garden and agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides and herbicides. 

Waste that will come to the facility will have been assessed and segregated for high temperature incineration to ensure it cannot be reused or recycled anywhere else. The waste will be destroyed at the Fornax facility.

The location, design and size of our North East facility has been carefully planned so it is appropriate to meet the volume of clinical and hazardous waste generated in the North East and North Yorkshire region.

This followed a detailed need analysis study looking at waste arisings in the region over a three to five-year period.

This is important as it will minimise the ‘carbon miles’ the waste has to travel in order to be treated. This facility will enable the NHS in the region to significantly reduce the travel distance compared to its current treatment and disposal operations. It will also enable hospitals across the North East to be the first in the UK to treat this waste in an R1 rated facility with the heat being recovered and distributed to local businesses. 

We anticipate the vast majority of the clinical waste we treat will be arriving from hospitals and other clinical settings, such as laboratories and care homes, from within the North East region or nearby parts of North Yorkshire.

The hazardous waste treated at the facility will mainly be solid waste with a very small amount of liquids. It will also be sourced from as close to the facility as possible from waste management companies collecting within the North East region or North Yorkshire.

We were required by Durham County Council’s planning department to provide a detailed need analysis to confirm there were enough waste arisings within a two-hour radius to fill the available capacity of the facility. This report was duly considered during appeal and is available as part of the detailed Planning Inspector’s approval summary.

All hazardous waste brought to the site will be contained within sealed airtight containers, carried by specialist waste vehicles. Clinical waste will arrive in sealed clinical waste bins.  

Before the waste is brought to the Fornax facility, it will be weighed, logged and strictly catalogued to ensure only waste permitted to be treated at the site is accepted. Once on site, Fornax employees will carry out their own checks and monitoring to ensure all processes are carried out to meet tight industry regulations. The facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art laboratory equipped to enable Fornax to carry out the necessary checks.

The health and safety of our staff and the wider community is our priority. 

Our plant has been designed with the best available proven techniques from Europe and will be operated and monitored to the highest standards, using best in class techniques including quality filters and abatement methodologies to ensure it complies with strict permit requirements and the EU BAT BREF 2019 ELV legislation.

Once operational, the plant will be closely regulated. It will be monitored round the clock by on-site staff and regulated by the Environment Agency. We will regularly report our data to the Environment Agency, which will have the power to intervene if it deems it necessary. 

At Fornax, we believe smaller, more technologically advanced facilities, like this one on Aycliffe Business Park in County Durham, are the safest way to meet regional needs and minimise the transportation of clinical and hazardous waste around the country – meeting Government aims on energy efficiency and resilience and aligning with its National Infrastructure Strategy.

Strict waste acceptance criteria and on-site laboratory testing ensures that all materials and processes meet and, where possible, exceed Environment Agency guidelines – giving our partners full confidence in the safety, compliance, and transparency of all of our processes.

Some 99.5% of the flu gas emissions will be made up of oxygen, nitrogen, water vapour and CO2. 

Just 0.5% will be made up from nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, particulates and other organic compounds. At these levels, they will have no significant impact on local air quality or anyone’s health.

Once all of the different treatment processes have been completed, almost all traces of any harmful substances will have been removed to ensure that emissions are well within the levels set by legislation.

Air quality and human health was considered extensively when planning permission was granted. In his Appeal Decision report, the Planning Inspector states:

“I have concluded that the appeal scheme would not materially harm human health and that it would not have an unacceptable environmental impact.” (paragraph 94)

The Planning Inspector’s Report also states:

• “Maximum off-site concentrations were assessed as not significant and well below the relevant air quality standards for all the pollutants assessed.” (paragraph 33)
• “The possible impacts on human health arising from dioxins, furans, and dioxin-like PCBs emitted from the facility were assessed under the worst-case scenario…this demonstrated that for the maximally exposed individual, exposure to dioxins, furans and dioxin-like PCBs would not be significant.” (paragraph 35)
• The predicted process contributions were not significant compared with the critical levels for NOx, SO2, NH3, HF. Critical loads for nutrient nitrogen deposition and acidification at the local wildlife sites were also considered and assessed as insignificant.” (paragraph 33)

The site will be monitored by Durham County Council to ensure compliance with planning conditions and regulated by the Environment Agency, which is responsible for determining emission limit values and regulating and enforcing these limits.

Permitted emissions are rightly set in accordance with the Industrial Emissions Directive and adapted by both the EU and UK. Recent tighter legislation regarding ELVs will ensure that this facility will have the most stringent levels enforced.

The Environment Agency must consider all of the operational impacts of the plant, and the environmental management plans in place to ensure it is operated to the highest standards, when deciding if Fornax should be granted an Environmental Permit to operate.

Once operational, the plant will be heavily regulated. Fornax will deploy Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) technology and software which will be strictly monitored round the clock by staff onsite, with emissions recorded every 30 seconds. It is mandatory that emissions data will be supplied to the Environment Agency at regular intervals, and we fully expect that this will be stipulated in our Environmental Permit. The Environment Agency also has the legislative powers to request data at any point in time.

Fornax will monitor the site on an ongoing basis for emissions, noise, dust and odour, and will scrutinise data to ensure it operates safely and efficiently. Reports will be provided to the Environment Agency, and if there are any reasons for concern, the Environment Agency will have the power to intervene.

The plant will also be inspected and rigorously maintained by expert Fornax employees to ensure it operates safely and efficiently.

If breaches occur, Fornax will be legally required to contain the emissions or shut down the plant within 4 hours. No waste can be fed into the system if the CEMS is not operating.

Fornax Environmental Solutions is developing solutions to fill a critical gap in the sector for the safe, effective and advanced treatment of clinical and hazardous waste. 

Due to years of under-investment in the industry, much of the country’s clinical and hazardous waste is currently dealt with at aging incinerators – often hundreds of miles away from source. These facilities do not have to meet the same stringent emissions standards as ours, as our plant was built after 2019 and therefore falls under the BAT BREF 2019 ELV emission regulations.

There is no other high temperature thermal treatment plant in the North East. 

There are only four such facilities in Britain – in Ellesmere Port, Southampton, Slough, and Sandwich in Kent. These plants are all at least 30 years old. New facilities, with modern technology, are required to meet the current need.

We aim to build a network of small-scale facilities, designed to meet the highest R1-rated standards, in different parts of the UK. 

We believe smaller, more technologically advanced facilities, like this one in County Durham, are the safest way to meet regional needs and minimise the transportation of clinical and hazardous waste around the country – meeting Government aims on energy efficiency and resilience and aligning with its National Infrastructure Strategy.

At the heart of our mission is the commitment to sustainability and reducing carbon impact. Each facility will be strategically located to significantly reduce the carbon miles associated with transporting clinical and hazardous waste for treatment. 

This means our customers – NHS bodies, local authorities and businesses – can reduce their carbon emissions by transporting their waste to a more local facility for treatment, with the added assurance that their waste is being converted into clean, sustainable energy.

Our vision is for a network of regional high temperature thermal treatment facilities where they are most needed in different parts of the UK. 

Each facility will be strategically located and will be designed at the optimum size to treat clinical and industrial waste generated from within their region. 

However, before any facility becomes operational, we will need:

• to carry out a range of scoping and environmental assessments 
• to engage with the local community
• planning consent from the local authority
• an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency
• to undertake an extensive commissioning phase to prove the facility meets the regulator’s performance standards

We are committed to being a good neighbour and will work with local communities near our facilities to open dialogue and build a trusting, two-way relationship.

The Fornax facility meets Government aims on energy efficiency and regional resilience and aligns with its National Infrastructure Strategy.

The plant will also create renewable energy during the high temperature thermal treatment process – generating 6MW of energy, enough to provide heat to the equivalent of 700 homes.

This heat created during the process can be used and re-distributed, both back into the running of the plant and to those organisations located within one mile of the site, who wish to take advantage of the heat off-take, helping industry to achieve their net-zero ambitions.

The site is located on Loverose Way, off the B6444 Heighington Lane, on Aycliffe Business Park in County Durham. 

The site is on the south west edge of Aycliffe Business Park, to the south of Heighington Lane, and has excellent transport links to the nearby A1(M) motorway, providing good connectivity and access to the region’s major road network.

Aycliffe Business Park is the largest single employment area in County Durham. It is home to 500 companies employing 10,000 people across 400 hectares. It is home to a mix of industries, ranging from chemicals processing, waste management and engineering, as well as service SMEs and leisure operators.

The site is just over two hectares in size, with a maximum building height of 14m.

The new Fornax facility sits directly to the west of Durham Animal Feeds, and just north of the Hitachi Rail manufacturing plant.

The Fornax site is accessed via Loverose Way, off the B6444 Heighington Lane, on the Aycliffe Business Park in County Durham. 

Traffic will access and leave the site via an agreed route through Aycliffe Business Park, travelling along the A67. Wherever possible, and in most cases, vehicles will travel to and from the site via the A1M, avoiding built up and residential areas.

There will be no more than 15 lorries delivering waste to the site each day. 

The plant will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, deliveries will be limited to 6am until 10pm Monday to Friday, and from 6am until noon on Saturday and Sundays. There will be no deliveries on Bank Holidays.

Safe and responsible disposal of waste that is part of the UK’s critical infrastructure

Our facilities will fill a critical gap in the sector for the safe, effective and advanced treatment of clinical and hazardous waste.

Despite advances in the NHS and across industry in terms of increasing the re-use and recycling of materials, the UK has a strategic need for safe and responsible disposal routes for clinical and hazardous waste. Fornax facilities can provide that.

Due to years of under-investment in the industry, much of the country’s clinical and hazardous waste is currently dealt with at aging incinerators – often hundreds of miles away from source. These facilities do not have to meet the same stringent emissions standards as ours, as our plant was built after 2019 and therefore falls under the BAT BREF 2019 ELV emission regulations.

Generating renewable energy

All our facilities will generate renewable energy in the form of heat that can be used to help run the plant and by organisations located within one mile of the facility to realise their net zero ambitions.

Our first facility – being built in County Durham – will generate 6MW of energy, enough to provide heat to the equivalent of 700 homes.

Creating jobs and opportunities for suppliers and learning

Each of our facilities will create 40 full-time skilled, quality roles when operational, along with training and research opportunities. 

We anticipate there will also be around 120 construction jobs created by each facility during the development phase as well as numerous sub-contracting opportunities for local SMEs in the areas where we operate.

Job opportunities will be promoted to local candidates, and we will use local SMEs and suppliers wherever possible.

We are also eager to collaborate with local schools, colleges, and universities to develop graduate and apprenticeship schemes and educational programmes. 

By partnering with educational establishments, Fornax aims to inspire the next generation to learn about the future of sustainable and responsible waste treatment, helping to create the engineers and scientists of tomorrow. 

Through these initiatives, Fornax aims to foster local talent, support regional businesses in the areas where we operate, and build a stronger, more sustainable future for everyone in the community.

As clinical and hazardous waste experts, we can help:

• the healthcare sector e.g. hospitals, care homes, dentists, laboratories and many other medical and healthcare-related establishments to dispose of their clinical waste, supporting the NHS strategy to transform the management of clinical waste and reduce carbon emissions by 80%
• local authorities and businesses that produce hazardous waste to ensure they are compliant with regulations and can deal with any products that may pose a risk to human health or the environment if not disposed of correctly
• waste collection companies by providing facilities that are being designed to R1 ratings standards to ensure safe and secure disposal routes.

This benefits society, as a whole, as we are safely and effectively treating and disposing of this clinical and hazardous waste.

Strict waste acceptance criteria and on-site laboratory testing ensures that all materials and processes meet and where possible exceed Environment Agency guidelines – giving our partners full confidence in the safety, compliance, and transparency of every process.

Summer 2025 marks the start of the detailed phase of our community engagement programme for our North East facility. 

We will be engaging with locally elected representatives, community groups, neighbouring businesses and organisations, and the media on an ongoing basis as we complete the site build and potentially move through to commissioning and operational phases.

We are also eager to collaborate with local schools, colleges, and universities to develop graduate and apprenticeship schemes and educational programmes. If you represent a local school, college or university and would like to know more, contact us using info@fornax.co.uk. 

We are committed to being a good neighbour and will work with local communities at all our facilities to open dialogue and build a trusting, two-way relationship.

Anyone who wants to sign up to receive more information directly about the plans for the site and about Fornax should email info@fornax.co.uk