The 2,400 sqm steel portal-framed waste facility will accommodate both general and recycling waste from across the Highland area. Materials will be weighed and then transported for reprocessing and delivered to Viridor's Energy from Waste (EFW) facility in Dunbar, East Lothian, where they will be processed into electricity and supplied to the National Grid.
As part of the new compound, the mechanical ventilation system has been fitted with carbon filters to eliminate odours, an upgraded fire detection and suppression system, fire-fighting water storage tanks, along with a brand-new office space, welfare building and parking lot.
By diverting this waste from landfill, the new waste transfer station is well ahead of the Scottish Government ban that will prevent landfilling of biodegradable municipal waste from January 2026. The Longman Waste Transfer Station will be fully operational in April this year.
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Not only will the waste transfer station play a major role in sustainable regional waste management, but various measures were taken to protect wildlife during the construction phase. Working alongside ecologists, the project team provided a safe place for local badgers to live alongside the site, with no works permitted within 10m of the badger sett and a low vibration option piling system utilised to minimise disruption.
To demonstrate Morrison Construction's commitment to social responsibility and community involvement, Assistant Site Manager, Katie Miller and Affric Ecology Ltd organised a site visit for the students at Inver Primary School, Tain Primary School, and Raigmore Primary School, where safety issues, environmental factors, and the waste cycle process were discussed, leaving the pupils eager to learn more.
Councillor Graham Mackenzie, Chair of Communities and Place Committee at Highland Council, said: "I am delighted to see this impressive new waste facility being completed for the Council. The way the building has been sensitively designed to ensure it blends into the existing landscape is exceptional."
He added: "With around 65,000 tonnes of waste and recycling expected to be processed through the site annually, this equates to almost half of all the waste and recycling in Highland and demonstrates the important role it will play in contributing to the Council's long term waste management strategy."
Donald McLachlan, Managing Director for Morrison Construction Highland, commented: "We are delighted to be able to hand over the waste transfer station to the Council. This has been a fantastic project for our business to be involved with and we are pleased to be able to assist Highland Council in contributing towards their carbon reduction goals, with this high-quality efficient new facility."
