THE first fridge recycling plant in Britain looks set to open in Newport on July 1. Planning permission was granted yesterday after Sims Metal UK agreed to put up a canopy over the fridge storage part of the plant at West Quay, South Dock, Alexandra Dock.

Fridge recycling units across the UK were forced to close in the wake of new European legislation last year, which tightened up on the release of refrigeration gases in to the atmosphere.

Graham Davy, managing director of recycling services at Sims Metals, said: "We have been reliably advised that this will be the first one installed in the UK."

Speaking to the Argus from Finland, where he had just visited a fridge recycling plant, Mr Davy said: "Another company in London ordered a machine the same time as us, but we are about six weeks ahead of them.

"Obviously any plant and equipment installed in the UK must conform to Environment Agency standards and other relevant UK law.

"The first stage was planning permission, now we will be working with the Environment Agency to make sure we conform to all their requirements."

Sims Metal hopes to increase its workforce from 30 to 50 with the opening of the £2.5 million plant.

It will be part-funded by the National Assembly for Wales Regional Selective Assistance Fund, which will contribute £250,000.

The German-made equipment to carry out the process has already been bought and is specifically designed to meet the requirements of new European legislation.

The actual decontamination of the fridges will be carried out in the specially constructed building and will involve the removal of gases, insulation material and the main shell of the unit which consists of ferrous and non-ferrous material, as well as plastics and foam. Once the CFC gases are removed from a fridge it will be stored in a sealed container. A gravity and screening process will then follow, whereby polyurethane and metals will be recovered.

The main part of the fridge will then be transferred to the adjacent scrapyard for eventual export by ship.