WORK has started on a £154million recycling centre which will be one of the most advanced in Europe.

The move follows the careful dismantling of two 218ft reinforced concrete chimney stacks which towered over the Polmadie waste site for the last 55 years. Both stacks were "nibbled" down using a 250 tonne excavator.

The first stage of construction involves inserting 40ft concrete columns into the ground to provide strength and support before erecting the steel framework in March.

City council leader Gordon Matheson was on hand at the ground breaking ceremony with Viridor UK engineering director Alan Cumming, Scottish regional manager Steven Don, Interserve associate director Bryan Kennedy and construction apprentices.

Viridor is the UK's largest recycler and Interserve is carrying out the construction of the new plant.

New tough environmental controls meant Polmadie was latterly used for recycling, parking, aministration and workshops.

The new Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre will be able to handle 200,000 tonnes of council green bin waste from across the city.

Waste which can be recycled will be removed, organic material like food and garden cuttings will go into a plant which turns them into natural gas used to power the plant, with the remainder used to produce gas to generate electricity.

The new centre will save the city council around £254m over 25 years in expensive landfill charges.

It will bring more than 250 jobs to the city, support apprenticeships and will produce enough energy to power 22,000 households.

Mr Matheson said: "We are committed to creating a more sustainable Glasgow that delivers better for its people environmentally, socially and economically.

"Our partnership with Viridor will not only transform how we deal with our waste but is already creating skilled jobs and supporting apprenticeships that are vital to the city's economy.

"At a time when energy firms are delivering inflation-busing price rises, we will have the potential to create affordable heat and power. This is an opportunity to secure a future that is cleaner, more affordable and sees the city's waste work for the benefit of Glaswegians."

Mr Cumming added: "As a Strathclyde graduate working on energy projects across the globe, it gives me great pleasure to be delivering world class green infrastructure in my city."

Work on the plant is due to be finished in 2016.

vivienne.nicoll@eveningtimes.co.uk