SSE and Wheelabrator Technologies have teamed up to create Multifuel Energy Ltd (MFE), a £300-million waste-to-energy power plant located at SSE’s Ferrybridge power station in West Yorkshire.
The 50:50 joint venture “expects to begin full construction of a 68MW multifuel facility in late 2012 and complete the project by early 2015,” Wheelabrator Technologies wrote in a news release yesterday.
“Hundreds of jobs will be created during the three year construction period and over 50 new full time jobs will be required once the plant is fully operational. Construction will be undertaken by Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), which has extensive experience on similar multifuel projects.”
In the end, the electricity from the plant will be sold to SSE.
“MFE has entered into a long-term fuel procurement contract with 3SE (SSE’s joint venture with Shanks Plc), which will provide processed waste-derived fuels using waste taken from nearby Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster councils. To support this contract 3SE intends to develop a new Mechanical Biological Treatment (‘MBT’) and Anaerobic Digestion (‘AD’) facility at Bolton Road, Manvers. Subject to planning permission, this is expected to be operational by 2015.”
As I wrote earlier today, I think waste-to-energy has a promising future — it may not grow to the size of wind or solar, but it should be tapped to a much greater degree, and innovative companies are helping us to do that.
