TBA ARNOLDSTEIN

The project concerns the construction of an incineration plant for the non-hazardous waste in Austria's southern Federal State Carinthia (Land Kärnten). The relatively small classical waste incineration plant is designed to service the Federal State's entire residual waste volume with an 80.000 t/a throughput capacity, generating electricity, optionally district heat and industrial process steam. Project implementation commenced in 2001 and completion is currently planned for 2004.

A study on concepts for waste treatment launched in 1994 by the Carinthian Government identified thermal waste incineration as the most ecologically and economically effective and efficient method to process residual waste. In 1996 the Government of the Federal State endorsed the conclusion, leading to a thermal treatment of all local residual waste at a central facility in Carinthia.The project is expected to comply with new national environmental protection legislation and EU objectives to avoid land filling of non-recyclable municipal waste. In addition, the project should enable the efficient recovery of energy from the combustion of waste by producing steam and electricity. This would contribute to reducing the consumption of primary energy for heat and power generation, and thereby to a reduction in related pollutants and CO2 emissions.

Planning consent procedures comprised fully-fledged EIA with public hearings which has been upheld in court procedures. Project is located in industrial area formerly used for mining and smelting lead and zinc. The project's compliance with all applicable national and EU environmental legislation will be verified during appraisal.

To be assessed during appraisal.