An £85 million energy from waste power plant in east Belfast has been given the go-ahead by the Government.

Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace will use the new facility to convert 120,000 tonnes of non-recyclable commercial and industrial waste into electricity and heat.

It will be done through the gasification process which heats the waste to produce a gas fuel which in turn is used to produce steam that creates electricity.

The project is expected to help create up to 130 construction jobs in the short term and around 20 permanent skilled jobs once completed.

Environment Minister Mark H Durkan said: “This is good news for Bombardier’s workforce. The new plant will help Bombardier to reduce electricity costs, maintain its competiveness within international markets and safeguard employment.”