New waste-to-energy project moves forward
Energy Limited 2 (MEL2), the 50:50 joint venture between Wheelabrator Technologies and SSE Thermal has completed the purchase of 19.5 acres of land at the Skelton Grange site in Leeds from Harworth Group.
This is an important step in the development of the Skelton Grange Multifuel waste-to-energy project. Construction of the proposed waste-to-energy facility is expected to commence in 2021.
The waste-to-energy facility was granted planning consent for an increased capacity in February and will divert around 410,000 tonnes of non-recyclable household and business waste from landfill or export and instead use it to generate enough energy each year to support around 100,000 homes.
The facility is strategically located to treat non-recyclable waste from a catchment area which has a projected capacity shortfall of over 1M tonnes per annum.
The new site is also less than 15 miles from Ferrybridge 1 and Ferrybridge 2, which are part of the successful Multifuel Energy Limited 1 (MEL1) joint venture between Wheelabrator Technologies and SSE Thermal. With Ferrybridge 1 commencing operations in July 2015 and Ferrybridge 2 reaching full commercial operations in December 2019.
Julia Watsford UK managing director of Wheelabrator Technologies said: “Completing the purchase of the land for Skelton Grange marks another significant milestone for Wheelabrator Technologies and the MEL joint venture. Skelton Grange Multifuel will further improve the UK’s waste-to-energy infrastructure at this critical time – not only will it safely treat waste byproducts and divert non-recyclable waste from landfill, it will prevent the need for export of waste to Europe, reduce greenhouse gases, recycle metals that would otherwise go to landfill and generate renewable baseload energy. We look forward to construction commencing in 2021.”
Stephen Wheeler, managing director of SSE Thermal, said: “SSE Thermal is looking forward to progressing the Skelton Grange Multifuel project as part of our joint venture with Wheelabrator Technologies, following the successful completion of our nearby Ferrybridge Multifuel facilities. We’re pleased to have reached this key milestone in the development of this proposed project.”
Matthew Smith, senior asset manager at Harworth Group, added: “This is a fantastic deal for all concerned and follows many months of working diligently with key stakeholders including Leeds City Council and the Canals & Rivers Trust to reach completion. The re-use of the site for energy generation has been a long time coming since the former Power Station stopped producing electricity in 1994 and we look forward to supporting Wheelabrator and SSE in the scheme’s construction and operation.”
