'World's largest' gasification EfW plant set to be built in UK
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Plans to build the world’s largest advanced gasification energy-from-waste (EfW) plant have been announced by Air Products.
The 50MW Tees Valley plant, located at the New Energy and Technology Business Park, near Billingham, Teesside, will operate using advanced gasification EfW technology.
The Tees Valley plant, claimed to be the first of its kind in the world, is expected to produce enough electricity to power up to 50,000 homes.
According to Air Products, the plant is situated with good access and connectivity to local and national electrical distribution infrastructure, and close proximity to landfill disposal facilities.
Once operational, it will divert up to 350,000 metric tons of non-recyclable waste from landfill per year.
The plant is expected to create up to 700 construction jobs and more than 50 permanent jobs once operational.
The Tees Valley Renewable Energy facility’s core conversion technology — a Westinghouse gasifier supplied by AlterNRG — has been used successfully in other countries such as Japan.
It is said to offer a more efficient, cleaner conversion of waste to power than traditional EfW technologies and has the potential to generate a wider range of products, including heat, hydrogen, chemicals and fuels. The technology also produces 42 per cent fewer CO2 emissions per MWh than incineration.
Longer term, Air Products believes the potential generation of renewable hydrogen could be deployed for commercial use, such as fuelling public transport.
Air Products says it has secured the necessary environmental and planning approvals and the renewable energy facility is scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2014.
Work has already begun to prepare the site and full-scale construction activities are scheduled to begin ramping up in the coming weeks.
Readers' comments (5)
Ian Duncan | 8 Aug 2012 11:59 am
What are the global warming differences between the methane gas generated landfill and the carbon dioxide gas generated by this facility?
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Derrick Stableford | 8 Aug 2012 7:29 pm
I think one of the key things here is the diversion of waste from landfill, which Britain doesnt really have the space for any longer.
I would also hope they add in a district heating system, and gain further economic returns.
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Paul Arrondelle | 9 Aug 2012 9:15 am
That's an interesting question. In general methane is considered to be a far more harmful greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, and my back of an envelope calculations suggest that methane combusts to CO2 in the rate of 1:1. This being the case the warming difference is favourable. Of course a more professional analysis would be better than mine!
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bill chamberlain | 1 Nov 2012 4:27 pm
what about the toxins that get spread over the country side from the exhaust from high stack that goes with the burning from this gasification plant that in the usa are closing down be cause the healthproblems :stillborn cardio breathing etc etc
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Michael Harrison | 13 Feb 2013 11:08 am
What about all of the toxic crap that will be spewed into the air!!?? Is anyone looking at the research before approving these plants? Where are the actual figures on converting homes to be able to USE this alleged "energy". Have you looked at the environmental and health impact of mercury, cadmium, dioxins, etc. Or is it all great unless it is in YOUR town?
"Incineration of solid waste is a technology which is being phased out across the USA... since 1985 over 280 incinerator proposals have either
been defeated outright or put on hold.” Unreliability, economics, environmental concerns, and citizen opposition have forced municipal officials to find new methods of managing solid waste.
Gasification shares many characteristics with incineration. At high temperatures used in incineration and gasification, TOXIC METALS including cadmium and mercury, acid gases including
hydrochloric acid, and ozone-forming nitrogen oxides are released. Also, dioxins and furans are created in the cooling process following the burning of ordinary paper and plastic. These poisons are dangerous at extremely low levels and modern pollution control devices do a poor job of reducing these emissions into the atmosphere. Some including mercury and dioxin are persistent and BIOACCUMULATIVE; they resist breakdown in the environment and are concentrated in the FOOD CHAIN."
http://www.bredl.org/pdf/wastegasification.pdf
WAKE UP UNITED KINGDOM!!!!
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