In January 1996 Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council awarded Martin Engineering Systems Ltd (MES) the contract to redevelop, upgrade, and operate their Lister Road incinerator. The existing incinerator could no longer meet the stringent emission requirements of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of pollution, now known as the Environmental Agency, while handling increasing levels of local waste.

The winning MES proposal demonstrated how a small self-sufficient waste-to-energy plant could meet the specific waste management requirements of Dudley. By employing new technology and innovative thinking, MES transformed Dudley's Lister Road Incinerator into a state of the art, waste-to-energy plant. Waste-to-energy is a sustainable, environmentally friendly process which turns heat energy, from the combustion of household waste, into electricity. Waste becomes a valuable resource.

An independent study conducted by Environment Technology Consultant Ltd established that the new Dudley waste-to-energy plant would keep ambient air pollution at a fraction of the regulatory limits; keep noise levels to a minimum; have little, if any, impact on traffic levels; and create jobs locally.