FLAGSHIP proposals to build a £300million state-of-the-art energy recovery centre to turn millions of black bin bags and their contents into steam and electricity have been put on hold.

The scheme by Suez Recycling and Recovery UK at its site in Lower Eccleshill Road, Darwen, is now in doubt with the planned 2024 launch date impossible.

When announced with a great fanfare in January 2019, the company said the new incinerator would create 50 new jobs.

The new plant, which would incinerate non-recyclable rubbish and turn it into steam and electricity for sale to the National Grid and nearby businesses, would be built on the site of the firm's existing waste transfer centre.

In August 2019 the proposal was granted planning permission by Blackburn with Darwen Council, with the then regeneration boss and now leader Cllr Phil Riley hailing the project as a "major boost for the borough".

But now its future has been cast into doubt as Suez await a decision from Lancashire County Council on whether it will use the proposed plant to recycle its black bag waste, rather than send it to the firm's Whinney Hill tip in Altham.

The question mark over the scheme's future is revealed in documents submitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council planning department by Suez.

A scoping report regarding the environmental impact of a new anaerobic digestion facility - which turns food waste into fuel - at the Lower Eccleshill Road site said: "Due to market forces, it is now unclear whether the Energy from Waste (EfW) facility will be developed.

"If the EfW is not constructed then Suez would still wish to develop a suite of modern energy recovery facilities at the site, and phase one of this masterplan would include a 100,000 tonnes per annum Anaerobic Digestion facility."

The energy from waste plant proposed in 2019 would process 500,000 tonnes of waste each year, equivalent to more than 70 million black bin bags, which would otherwise go to landfill.

The majority of the waste would come from Lancashire County and Blackburn with Darwen Councils.

Suez runs eight similar centres across the UK, including one in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, and the eye-catching incinerator on the Isle of Man.

The delay in starting construction - which would take three years - means that the 2024 scheduled start of operation will now be missed with 2026 the earliest it could be in action.

John Wilkinson, Suez's regional director, said: “We are keen to invest in the development of our existing resource recovery park on Lower Eccleshill Road in Darwen, not only to protect existing jobs but to also create new jobs.

"Whilst we have planning permission for an energy recovery centre on the site we are also working on plans for an anaerobic digestion facility to process food waste.

"If planning permission was to be granted for an anaerobic digester we would then be well placed to move forward quickly."

Cllr Jim Smith, Blackburn with Darwen Council's environment boss, said: “We will continue to work closely with Suez and look forward to seeing potential future investments and plans unfold.

"Large-scale planning applications, such as this one, are often subject to market conditions, and by looking at multiple different options for the site, Suez are situating themselves, and therefore us, in the best possible position to progress.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: "We are currently reviewing our waste processing strategy.

"We have arrangements in place for the management of residual waste until 2025. We have not conducted any procurement exercises for the management of food waste or residual waste post 2025."