THE huge waste incinerator that's being built near Ballingry has been sold.

Brockwell Energy, the company behind the plans for the energy-from-waste plant at a former opencast site at Westfield, announced the deal on Monday.

The Westfield Energy Recovery Facility is currently under construction and due to be operational in 2024 when it will be capable of burning 240,000 tonnes of rubbish a year.

Westfield Energy Recovery Limited (WERL), the owners of the plant, has been sold to Equitix, a leading global investor, developer and long-term fund manager of core infrastructure assets.

Alex Lambie, chief executive of Brockwell Energy, said: “We are delighted to complete this transaction and place WERL in the very reputable hands of Equitix.

"The sale reflects the high quality and value of the project developed by Brockwell Energy.

“The proceeds will be reinvested to further expand our other energy development projects, all of which are contributing to achieving important climate change goals.

"It has been a real pleasure to work with Equitix on this transaction.

"I know it shares our culture and values and will treat local communities with respect, while building out the project with care and attention to all local stakeholders.”

Rubbish that can't be recycled and would normally go to landfill will go to the plant, where the process of burning waste will produce electricity for the national grid and steam, which can be used to heat nearby homes and businesses.

With the ban on sending waste to landfill coming ever closer, alternative options are needed and Fife Council already have a deal in place to send 160,000 tonnes of waste to Westfield, which is between Ballingry and Kinglassie.

Swiss contractors Hitachi Zosen Inova started building the plant in February.

Equitix CEO Hugh Crossley said: “We are delighted to complete the acquisition at Westfield, which helps support our strategic ambitions of a net zero carbon future.

“We are excited by the opportunities that energy-from-waste brings, to act as a catalyst for regeneration of one of the largest derelict former coal mining sites in central Scotland, whilst helping the local community benefit from the jobs and opportunities this presents.

"We look forward to working with Brockwell and our other partners to deliver this project successfully.”

The energy-from-waste plant is the key development on the Westfield site.

The site as a whole is being redeveloped for industrial and commercial use by Hargreaves Land Limited, the property arm of Hargreaves Services.

When they purchased the land from the liquidators of Scottish Coal, it was in a derelict state with significant restoration challenges.

Working with Fife Council and local communities, Hargreaves aim to deliver a site-wide restoration scheme and pave the way for a major regeneration of the area, creating more jobs and employment opportunities.

Brockwell said it will work with Equitix under a long-term management services agreement to manage the construction through commissioning into the operations stage of the plant.

It will also collaborate with Hargreaves to identify and attract new tenants to the wider site.