County possible location of new plant
By: Greg Bird
A press release issued by METT USA, LLC and the McCreary County Economic Development Office announced the possibility of a new waste-to-energy plant to be constructed in McCreary County, with the possibility of adding between 600-900 new jobs when fully operational.
The release states METT USA, a subsidiary of METT Group International “is in the final planning phase of locating the first U.S. Materials Recovery and Energy Plant (MREP) in McCreary County.”
“We have selected McCreary County among our initial MREP locations because of the county’s unique opportunity to support METT’s objectives of business viability, environmental protection and local economic development,” Mark Gay, METT USA CEO said in the release. “Our belief is that, at full operational capacity, MREP will provide a next-generation capability for responsible waste-management and clean energy production.”
McCreary County Judge Executive Doug Stephens said he is very optimistic that the plant will be located locally, but admitted there are other locations that are being considered by the company.
Stephens stated he is “99 percent sure” that McCreary County will be the home of the plant, noting representatives from the company have placed McCreary at the top of the list and said he hopes a final announcement will come by the end of the year.
The proposed plant, is a waste-to-energy facility that takes waste and refuse, mostly organic in nature, and burns the materials to produce electricity. The process is considered considerably cleaner than coal-based energy production, and also helps reduce waste products entering landfills.
“We are so pleased that the METT Group is planning to begin their U.S. expansions in McCreary County,” McCreary County Economic Development Director Susan Stephens said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for our community and the surrounding region. Judge Stephens and I look forward to continuing our relationship with METT and working with them diligently to finalize the project.”
“This facility is a state of the art operation and will benefit McCreary County in many more ways than just good jobs,” Judge Executive Stephens added.
The plan calls for three phases of construction over three years and could add up to 900 jobs when fully operational.
Due to the ongoing negotiations, County officials were not at liberty to disclose more details on the nature of the deal, and the VOICE has been unable to contact anyone from the company to obtain additional information.
There is little information publically available on METT USA, or its parent company METT Group International. A public records search shows METT USA has filed paperwork in Virginia as a limited liability corporation operating out of Smithfield Virginia on October 8 of this year. Stephens confirmed this is the company looking to build in McCreary County.
The Mett Group International website (www.mettgroup.com) lists a registered office in Barbados and a United Kingdom office in Bath.
The VOICE hopes to provide more details on this story as more information becomes available.
