Plans for ‘most exciting’ renewable energy scheme revealed

A £150m waste-to-energy centre could be built in Hull after plans were revealed for a major renewables scheme by an engineering group. 

Spencer has submitted plans to Hull City Council for Energy Works, a project that would see up to 200,000 tonnes of organic material converted into energy each year.

Energy Works, which is expected to create 60 permanent jobs and 200 in the construction phase, aims to significantly reduce the need for waste to go to landfill.

Spencer is planning to build a state-of-the-art facility on an eight-acre site on the eastern bank of the River Hull. The land has been unused since June last year.

Charlie Spencer, chief executive of Spencer, said: “This is by far the most exciting and innovative renewable energy development facility anywhere in the United Kingdom.

“There are others that incorporate some of the technologies and processes we are proposing here but none are as far-reaching and integrated as this.

“It will put Hull firmly on the environment map, demonstrating to the rest of the country and Europe how a community can take responsibility for its surplus bio-degradable materials by converting it into green energy.

“This facility will provide power to more than 25,000 homes and a quarter of the city’s population, leaving us not entirely self-sufficient in energy but certainly a good way along that road. In addition, the facility will produce 900,000 therms of gas energy that could either be delivered to users via the gas grid or used to power local commercial vehicles.”

The facility will use advanced gasification and anaerobic digestion processes to produce energy and part of the complex will house a research, development and education centre.

The centre will see post-graduates from the University of Hull undertake potentially ground-breaking energy-related research projects.

Mr Spencer added that Energy Works could save taxpayers a substantial amount of money every year by converting potential landfill waste.

“If we can take this material off the roads and use it as feedstock to generate energy for local people that has to make environmental and economic sense,” Mr Spencer said.

“The introduction of a range of green initiatives means that the majority of the energy produced by the works will be carbon neutral.

“We are confident that the project, when completed, will be the catalyst for other businesses to be established in this area of the city, especially start-up businesses that will benefit from cheaper, sustainable energy.”