With construction almost complete, commissioning is now due to begin at the Devonport Docks energy-from-waste plant – including delivery of the first waste load and the first export of electricity.
Once operational, the combined heat and power (CHP) enabled facility will process around 163,000 tonnes of municipal residual waste on behalf of the South West Devon Waste Partnership (SWDWP), a joint organisation that includes Torbay council, Plymouth city council and Devon county council.
Meanwhile, surplus capacity for the plant is to be filled by commercial and industrial waste contracts sourced from the same catchment area as the SWDWP.
It comes as part of a major 25-year, £796 million deal, which was signed between SWDWP and MVV in March 2011 and represents the German firm’s only PFI contract in the UK (see letsrecycle.com story).
MOD
MVV has also signed an energy services agreement with the Ministry of Defence to supply 24MW of electricity and steam to the adjacent Naval Dockyard, the largest naval base in Western Europe.
The company had been in talks with Plymouth city council for the development of a local district heating scheme for residents living close to the site. However, a feasibility study found that the projected size of the scheme would make it impracticable.
During commissioning, MVV will conduct testing at the plant through a ‘controlled and safe sequence of activities’. This includes steam blowing to clean out pipes and the first firing of the waste boiler.
The company has warned that the steam blowing will cause some noise, and will be carried out during normal construction site working hours between 8am and 6pm. To further minimise the disturbance, a bespoke silencer at the plant has been installed.
The overall process is expected to take three months, with operations scheduled to start at the facility in June 2015.
Paul Carey, managing director of MVV Environment Devonport, said: “This is a very important milestone in the development. During commissioning, we will prove that the facility can indeed do what it is supposed to do – turn waste into usable energy in a safe and environmentally friendly way.”
Ridham
Mr Carey added that development of MVV’s 177,000 tonnes-per-year capacity waste wood biomass plant at Ridham Dock in Kent is also progressing well.
Commissioning has already begun at the £118 million facility located near Sittingbourne, with operations now due to begin slightly earlier than the Plymouth plant in March 2015.
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