Developed and built by NEM, a subsidiary of Northumbrian Water, the initial plant replaced the Portrack Incinerator and opened in 1998.

The plant initially received waste from Teesside and North Tyneside, but this was extended to include Northumberland with the 2009 extension.

In November 1996, the plant was closed down because its design meant it could not achieve the new emission regulations that were to be introduced; it was then demolished in stages between 1998 and 2000.

Teesside Energy from Waste plant was opened in May 1998 as a collaboration with the local authorities of Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar & Cleveland.

[4][6] It was officially opened on 8 October 2009 by former MP Hilary Armstrong, SITA UK Chief Executive David Palmer-Jones, and Northumberland County Councillor Jeff Reid.

[7] At various times, between 60 and 100 people were employed in building the third line, and an additional 20 full-time jobs were created for its operation once open.

The plant's clean, clear lines and colours are said to "contrast favourably" with the nearby industrial buildings.

[8] Until 2009, the station had two operating furnace lines, which together were capable of burning a total of 250,000 tonnes of waste per year, and generated 20 MW of electricity.

[2][8] The original plant uses Babcock & Wilcox Volund boilers to provide steam for a single Ansaldo turbo generator rated at 19.2 MW.

[5] The station operates constantly, burning municipal household waste from the local councils of Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, North Tyneside and Northumberland.

Air for the combustion of the waste later in the plant is drawn from the reception hall so that odour and dust doesn't escape the building.

[10] Gases from the furnace are cleaned using selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), spray absorbers and active carbon injection.

These processes remove nitrogen oxides, acidic gasses, dioxins and heavy metals from the plants emissions.

The remaining fly ash from the filters contains particles from the incineration, lime from the spray absorbers, salt and carbon dust, and so is stored in a sealed silo until it is taken from the site for disposal.

[14] In 2008, it was announced SITA had plans to build another EfW plant adjacent to the current one, named the North East Energy Recovery Centre (NEERC).

This waste will be burned to generate electricity for the National Grid and cogenerate to provide heat for local industries in the form of steam.

[17] In August 2010, SITA teamed up with Sembcorp UK to build another waste-to-energy facility in the Teesside region.