How Dundee's MVV Energy from Waste Facility contributes to a more sustainable future

Baldovie has a long history of managing waste in the Dundee and Angus area. In the 1970s, the site operated an incinerator with no energy recovery. However, as thinking around waste management developed during the 1990s, plans were created for a new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility. The aim was not only to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, but also to recover energy from waste and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Boiler Lines 1 and 2 were commissioned in early 2000. Together, they were designed to process and divert up to 120,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year. This represented a significant step forward in waste management for the local area, providing a reliable alternative to landfill while also allowing energy to be recovered from non-recyclable waste.

In 2013, furnace upgrades and improvements to the boiler and waste-feed systems further enhanced the facility’s operational performance and efficiency. These improvements allowed the site to generate electricity for the National Grid, supplying power to thousands of homes and demonstrating the potential for waste to become a valuable source of energy.

As Lines 1 and 2 approached 20 years of service, their closure was anticipated. In November 2017, MVV Environment, a German company specialising in energy from waste, began a 25-year partnership with Dundee City Council and Angus Council to manage the councils’ non-recyclable waste.

SEPA approved MVV Environment Baldovie’s application in November 2020 to vary its environmental permit. This allowed the existing facility to continue operating in parallel with the construction and commissioning of a new third line.

Line 3 was developed alongside the two legacy lines and began burning waste in January 2022. The new facility was designed to be highly efficient and, when all three lines were operating, the site had the capacity to process up to 220,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste each year.
With MVV’s continued investment and the expertise of the operations and maintenance team, Lines 1 and 2 continued operating for a further six years beyond the point at which their closure had originally been anticipated. They closed in June 2026, marking the end of more than 25 years of service from the original Energy from Waste facility.

Today, MVV Environment Baldovie operates its highly efficient Line 3. The facility can divert approximately 110,000 tonnes of waste from landfill each year and produces around 10 megawatts of electricity for the National Grid. This is enough electricity to supply approximately one-third of the homes in Dundee.

MVV supports the waste hierarchy and encourages the community to reduce, reuse and recycle. Through its community programme, the company focuses on local supplier development, employment and skills activities, environmental awareness and sponsorship.

The facility welcomes members of the community, nurseries, primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities to visit and learn more about how waste is managed and energy is recovered.

Its outreach activities aim to inspire the next generation by providing opportunities to learn about waste minimisation, the waste hierarchy, the circular economy and STEM careers. Through these activities, MVV hopes to inspire young people to consider the skills and careers that can help create a more sustainable future.