Somerset acquires power from waste

A mini power station in Somerset, which generates electricity from household waste, has begun to operate.

The generator has been installed at a landfill site in Poole, near Wellington, and will create electricity for hundreds of homes. The plant, which cost £750,000 to build, uses methane, a gas produced when waste decays.

The project director, Mark Jones, said: "This is doing something useful - controlling waste gas and generating electricity."

Three million tonnes of waste have been dumped in the landfill over the last 30 years. It is estimated that there is enough gas at the site to generate electricity for the next 30 years.

"That electricity goes towards the renewable obligations required by the government," Jones said.