Work has begun on Dublin’s Poolbeg Incinerator, seven years after planning permission for the project was granted.

The commencement of work comes as locals prepare to march on the Dáil tomorrow in protest against the incinerator.

The €600m plant is expected to begin processing waste in late 2017, but could yet face further legal opposition.

A litany of major hurdles has delayed the project in the intervening period. Various issues, ranging from financial trouble to legal opposition, have caused delays, while political opposition has been a near constant. Dublin city councillors have voted against the project over 30 times in the 14 years since the plan for the incinerator was first mooted. In September, a report from the National Development Finance Agency was rejected by 52 of 55 local councillors at a meeting in September.

The 2001 Waste Management Act makes it so that, while the opinions of city councillors must be noted by county and city managers, ultimately the decision on waste matters is to be taken by chief executives of councils.

Opposition to the plant claims the plant will be too large, and will breach planning permission. There have also been questions about the amount already spent on the project, with €100m spent by Dublin local authorities, including €32m for consultants and €52m for the site. The land is now estimated to be worth €6m.

The project is a public-private partnership between Dublin City Council and New Jersey based waste firm Covanta.

The most recent issue holding up the start of construction was a complaint to the European Commission that claimed the contract breached EU regulations on state aid and procurement. In May a European Commission Investigation found in favour of the four Dublin councils following a probe into the contract agreed between the local authorities and Covanta.