Work set to begin on Milton Keynes Energos facility

The 90,000 tonne plant will process non-recyclable and non-hazardous at the final stage of a three-step waste treatment process, which includes the extraction of recyclable material via mechanical treatment by Stadler and an anaerobic digester (AD) operated by Celtic Bioenergy.

The Energos facility will generate 7MW of electricity – enough to power an estimated 11,000 homes.

The gasification process sees residual, non-recyclable waste converted into a syngas using heat of partial combustion to free hydrogen and carbon in the waste. This produces high temperature steam that can be transformed into energy.

The award of planning consent follows a contractual agreement signed by AmeyCespa and Milton Keynes council last month (June 27) for the company to design, build and operate the Recovery Park while putting forward technologies to treat the waste (see letsrecycle story).

Award

Due to start on site in 2014, with waste processing to begin in 2016, the Recovery Park was approved unanimously by Milton Keynes councils development control committee following a six month borough-wide community consultation period. It aims to reduce the councils current waste bill by over 50 million.

Andrew Cousins, Project Manager for AmeyCespa, said: This facility will utilise the most up-to-date and cost effective technologies to deal with the boroughs waste.

It will make the most of peoples everyday rubbish, ensuring as much is recycled as economically possible as well as generating renewable energy and creating electricity from waste which would otherwise have gone to landfill. This in turn creates a saving for the council and ultimately Milton Keynes taxpayers.”

Permission

Energos currently operates seven similar conversion facilities across Europe, including a UK-based plant on the Isle of Wight for which it was awarded double Renewables Obligation Certificates (see letsrecycle story).

It is at present building its second UK-based plant in Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre and recently gained permission for a third facility in Lisburn, Northern Ireland (see letsrecycle story).