Cheshire waste-to-energy plant begins operations with carbon capture ambitions

An energy-from-waste facility near Ellesmere Port has begun burning residual waste for the first time as part of its commissioning process.

Encyclis’ Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) received its first deliveries of waste this week and has processed over 2,500 tonnes so far.

Once fully operational, the plant will process up to 500,000 tonnes a year of non-recyclable commercial and municipal waste from the region.

Mark Burrows-Smith, chief executive of Encyclis, said: “Achieving first fire on waste is an exciting milestone for Protos ERF as it transitions into commercial operations. This facility will fulfil an essential role by providing the region with vital processing capacity for non-recyclable waste, while generating baseload electricity to power homes and businesses, and additionally recovering resources including secondary aggregates and metals for recycling and reuse.”

The facility will generate up to 49.9MW of baseload electricity for homes and businesses, and will recover secondary aggregates and recyclable metals.

Encyclis says the plant will become the UK’s first decarbonised energy-from-waste facility, with a carbon capture plant under construction on adjoining land.

Around 370,000 tonnes a year of CO2 emissions from Protos ERF will be captured and transported via pipeline for permanent storage in Liverpool Bay as part of the HyNet North West carbon capture and storage cluster.

The carbon capture plant is expected to be activated in 2029.

Protos ERF employs more than 45 people including engineers, electricians, operators, environmental specialists and support staff.

Four local apprentices have been recruited and are undertaking formal training.

Burrows-Smith added: “This week’s news also takes us closer to delivering the UK’s first decarbonised Energy-from-Waste infrastructure, with construction of our groundbreaking carbon capture facility well underway alongside Protos ERF. The progress we have made is a credit to the hard work and expertise of our construction teams, contractors and suppliers.”

The plant entered the hot commissioning phase earlier this year under the management of Encyclis’ turnkey partners METLEN and Standardkessel Baumgarte GmbH, who undertook the engineering, procurement and construction of the facility.

Encyclis operates Rookery South ERF in Bedfordshire and Newhurst ERF in Leicestershire.

Construction of Encyclis’ fourth facility, Walsall ERF in the West Midlands, is advancing and due to begin operations next year.