Ince Bio Power forms part of Peel Environmental’s ‘Protos’ energy hub, located near Ellesmere Port.
The facility uses advanced thermal treatment (ATT) technology – otherwise known as gasification – which turns waste wood feedstock into a combustible gas by heating it in a “virtually oxygen-free environment”.
The Energy Works Hull plant in East Yorkshire and one at Levenseat in Lanarkshire – also owned by BIG – will also employ the same ATT technology.
Ince Biopower will be fed by up to 170,00 tonnes of waste wood from the north west of England to produce around 21.5MW of electricity. The site also features a processing site to shred material and remove metals before processing.
Around 150 jobs were created during the construction of Ince Bio Power. The plant will be operated and managed by about 25 full-time employees.
The facility generated its first energy as part of testing in May 2018 (see letsrecycle.com story), around three years after construction on the facility started.
Commenting on today’s update, Neil Bennett, chief commercial officer at BIG, said: “We are delighted that Ince is now fully operational and will continue to generate clean, base-load, renewable energy for the people of the north-west of England. This is not only a significant milestone for Ince but also an important moment in the development of gasification facilities in the UK, which are a sustainable alternative to incineration.”
Protos
The Protos site consists of a number of energy facilities and is expected to create over 3,000 jobs and provide a £350 million boost to the economy, the site’s owners say. Discussions are also ongoing between Biffa and Covanta for a 350,000 tonnes-per-year energy from waste plant on the site.
Commenting on the Ince Bio Power site Jane Gaston, development director at Peel Environmental, said: “This is a significant step forward for Protos and the creation of a strategic and self-sustaining energy hub in the north west.
“Facilities such as this are vitally important in the transition to a low carbon economy and meeting the Government’s clean growth agenda. The supply of a local, sustainable and secure source of energy only goes to reaffirm this region’s position as the industrial powerhouse of the UK, making it even more attractive to businesses both at home and overseas.”
Progressive Energy also announced earlier this year that it would set up a 175,000 tonne gasification facility at Protos, which was worth up to worth up to £150 million (see letsrecycle.com story).
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