Tuesday 26 March 2019

UK’s ‘largest’ waste wood gasification plant fired up in Cheshire

A new facility that turns waste into gas by using advanced thermal treatment (ATT) technology is now operational in Cheshire.

Ince Bio Power, claimed to be the biggest plant of its kind operating in the UK, uses the technology otherwise known as gasification - an alternative to incineration that turns waste into a combustible gas by heating it what is claimed to be a "virtually oxygen-free environment".

Owned by Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG), the facility has the capacity to process up to 170,000 tonnes of waste wood every year, converting fuel into 21.5MW of electricity – enough to power more than 40,000 homes.

It is also expected to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 65,000 tonnes of CO2 a year – equivalent to taking more than 40,000 cars off the road.

Neil Bennett, Chief Commercial Officer at BIG said: “We are delighted that Ince is now fully operational and will continue to generate clean, baseload, 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.

“With several other assets nearing completion of commissioning, BIG is well on the way to being able to deliver our wider strategy of generating more than 200MW of low carbon renewable energy each year from waste and biomass. This will sustainably support the UK’s increasingly electricity-intensive economy and help generate employment and economic development across the UK.”

The facility is located within Protos, a £700 million energy hub owned by Peel Environmental, which is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs and provide a £350 million boost to the economy.

BIG also controls a co-located waste wood processing facility at Protos with its fuel supply partner