40m Knowsley gasification plant plans submitted

The application, made by technology firm Energos, outlines plans to build a gasification facility to turn residual waste produced in the area into energy. The proposed plant, situated on Knowsley Business Park, is expected to take two years to build with an operational date of 2011 being suggested.

Nick Dawber, managing director for Energos, said: “We are proposing a community sized solution for local waste that would otherwise fill up landfill sites and emit damaging greenhouse gases. We offer a proven and world class, low-emission gasification technology that can help the UK build a much needed sustainable waste infrastructure.

“The scheme would create a similar renewable power output to 18 large wind turbines. No more than 40 lorries would visit the site each day and they would have direct access from the East Lancashire Road or the M57. In addition, the facility would be barely visible from residential communities,” he added.

The announcement of the plans comes just one month after Energos, which is part of North-West-based renewable energy company ENER-G, achieved ROC accreditation for its gasification site on the Isle of Wight, a project that is part of Defra's New Technology Demonstrator Programme (see letsrecycle.com story).

Process

The gasification process in the Knowsley proposals involves heating residual waste under controlled conditions with steam and oxygen to turn organic matter into “syn-gas” (synthetic gas), a combustible mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This is then burned to generate steam that drives a turbine capable of generating 8MW of electricity, enough to power 10,000 homes.

The planning application for the plant indicates that it could take 80,000 tonnes of waste a year but that could rise to 95,000 if it was non-recyclable household material.

Last month, Energos ran roadshows and open days to enable members of the public to voice their concerns about the project, while an environmental impact assessment of the proposed project examined air quality, traffic, noise, visual impact and ecology, and found that the facility would have no significant negative effects on the environment.

Irvine

In addition to the Knowsley site, the company is set to construct an 80,000 tonne capacity plant in Irvine, Scotland, with planning permission recently granted by the local council and work expected to begin in late 2008.

The project, which is expected to take two years to build, is currently subject to a section 75 agreement but the Scottish Parliament has not called in the proposal, which means that Energos expects to start placing orders at the end of the year and has begun talking to local industries about supplying energy to them.

The two proposed sites will add to Energos' six existing gasification plants currently operating across Europe in countries such as Norway and Germany.