asked the Minister for the Environment the grants if any that are available to local authorities for the installation of incinerator plants for the use of domestic refuse as an alternative public heating/energy source; if his Department has any policy in this matter in line with developments taking place in Denmark; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Refuse Incineration Plants.
527.
There are no grants available to local authorities from my Department for the installation of refuse incineration equipment. Any proposal to provide for refuse incineration would be a matter in the first instance for the local authority concerned. However, I am advised that incineration costs can be up to seven times as great as disposal by landfill and that the economics of heat recovery are extremely marginal even in densely populated areas. In this respect, the Danish situation is not quite comparable to ours in that district heating systems existed in urban areas before refuse incineration linked to such systems was introduced. I understand that the Department of Energy keeps under review the general question of using waste as an energy source and my Department maintains contact with that Department in this matter.