A STATE-of-the-art centre that divides bin bag rubbish into recyclables will be fully operational this year - two years later than planned.

The £154m Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) in Polmadie will recycle 90 per cent of general rubbish.

Behind schedule, the centre will divert 200,000 tons from landfill and create a more “sustainable” city by September, it is hoped.

It is a project of Glasgow City Council and recycling company Viridor, which the council has worked with for 25 years.

The announcement was made at the Environment, Sustainability and Carbon Reduction City Policy Committee today.

Tony Boyle, head of waste management, said: “We’re now at the stage – hopefully – where we’re going to be up and running and fully operational around about September.”

The GRREC, when fully operational, would see an increase of 18 per cent in recycling across the city.

Average household recycling would increase by around 10 to 12 per cent, the council says.

It also has the possibility to supply enough energy to power 22,000 homes in the city.

Parts of GRREC are up and running with 77,387 tons of waste diverted from landfill so far in its existence.

This year, around 26,000 tons have been sorted out through GRREC, Mr Boyle revealed.

He added: “The last bit of the technology is the gasification for the stuff we can’t make use good use of.”

The gasification plant is expected to be completed by September and when it is, the facility will be fully operational.

Gasification converts rubbish into synthesis gas, or syngas.

Instead of making just heat and electricity – as done in a waste-to-energy incinerator – the syngas produced can be turned into products like fuel, chemicals and fertilizer.

Councillors discussed the Tackling Glasgow’s Waste: Waste Strategy and Action Plan, which GRREC is a key part of.

As GRREC has been behind schedule it has not been able to process all the waste sent to it.

As a result, it has been sent to landfill – but at a cost.

Jim Kavanagh demanded to know how much the council has been reimbursed from Viridor.

He said: “We’re not a charity — I would like to know how much Viridor has given back through the inability to process it.”

However, he was told by Andy Waddell, head of infrastructure and environment, it was “financially confidential”.

Mr Waddell said: “The Chief Executive has been involved herself with negotiating with Viridor. We are moving quickly to point. The council has been compensated for delays.”