American waste firm Covanta Energy has announced that it plans to construct a 70-MW biomass power plant in Merthyr, Wales creating energy from waste. The target date for operations to begin is 2014.

The Brig y Cwm project, will consume approximately 825,000 tons of waste per year. The estimated cost of the plant is approximately £400 million ($570 million), and the project will be financed, built, owned and operated by Covanta Energy.

If the Brig y Cwm reaches its full potential it will produce enough electricity to supply 180,000 homes and will take in municipal, commercial and industrial waste.

Covanta Energy is expanding its investments in biomass projects across the United States. In December 2008, Covanta announced that it had completed its acquisition of two biomass energy facilities in Maine. The two facilities, located in West Enfield and Jonesboro, have a combined capacity of 49 MW.

The company is hoping that application for planning permission of the biomass power plant will be made by the end of 2009.