Prospective contractors have toured the Tynes Bay Waste-to-Energy Facility ahead of submitting tenders for an ash processing plant.

Government first announced the project in November 2007 to provide a more environmentally-friendly way of forming cement blocks for land reclamation efforts at L.F. Wade International Airport.

At that time Derrick Binns, then Permanent Secretary of Works and Engineering, said: "We hope to have the new ash processing plant in operation by April 2009."

In the past two years however, work has not started. Government did not explain the reasons for the delay last night.

In this year's Budget, funds for the construction of an ash processing plant were included in the Ministry of Works and Engineering's $33 million capital expenditure budget.

The 2009 Government Budget statement pledges work on the plant plus the preliminary stages of a third incinerator, to expand capacity.

It states: "Refurbishment of (the) Tynes Bay Waste-to-Energy Facility incineration stream two combustion and pollution control systems is a priority as the facility maintains reliable waste disposal operations.

"In addition, the environmental impact study and public awareness campaign for the third incineration stream project will be undertaken, as will the commencement of construction for the new ash processing plant."

The new plant will remove metals, wood and plastics from incinerated garbage before ash is mixed into the two-ton cement blocks used for shoreline protection at the airport.

Currently only non-ferrous metals those containing iron, such as steel are removed.

The new facility will be built on the hillside north of the present Tynes Bay ash plant.

Dr. Binns told The Royal Gazette in 2007: "Once the ash is encapsulated in concrete, it is pretty much environmentally safe. But the new ash processing plant will be designed to remove additional by-products from the ash prior to mixing with concrete.

"It is our intent to produce an even more environmentally-friendly product by removing non-ferrous metals also."

In September this year, Government advertised for tenders for the building and civil works of the plant. A two-storey steel-framed building, 60ft wide by 150ft long, is proposed.

Contractors interested in building the facility must submit their proposals by November 4.

Feedback on those attending, as well as the costs and timescale of the project, is expected in an official Government response today.