Questions have been raised over plans for a new £330m waste incinerator at the Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station site.

The facility was approved by Nottinghamshire County Council’s planning committee in 2021 and approved by the government the following year, despite concerns of environmental activists.

Uniper Energy, which owns the site, said it was now “looking at alternative options for the future” after one of its former shareholders decided not to proceed.

On September 30, the UK’s last coal-fired power station closed, following which the site will be demolished after decommissioning, which will take two years.

The proposed incinerator, known as the East Midlands Energy Regeneration Facility (EMERGE), would burn almost 500,000 tonnes of waste a year, reduce landfill and generate enough energy to power 90,000 homes.

Those who opposed the plans at the time said incineration sends significant amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Now, the Local Democracy Reporting Service It has been reported that one of Uniper’s former shareholders, the Finnish state-owned company Fortum, will not proceed following the sale of its shares in the company.

Fortum sold its shares in 2022 and Uniper is now almost entirely owned by the German government.

A Uniper spokesperson said: “We are studying alternative options for the future.”

Nottingham City Council’s Meadows ward councilor Michael Edwards raised concerns about the future of the plant at the joint Nottingham and Nottinghamshire committee on mineral and waste planning on Friday.

In response, David Arnold, head of planning and environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “There is planning permission in Ratcliffe and it hasn’t been implemented yet. We don’t know if it will be implemented.”

“They have until March next year and that is with Uniper. It is on their land and due to these circumstances it may mean they change their mind.”