Corby Limited, which owns the proposed EfW site on the Willowbrook Industrial Estate, announced the approval this week (October 15).
Planning consent for an energy recovery facility at the site using gasification technology has been in place since 2016.
However, challenges over funding meant that Corby Ltd decided to switch its approach and opt for “more proven” moving grate technology. The capacity of the proposed plant has also been increased from up to 195,000 tonnes of waste a year to 260,000 tonnes a year of residual waste and refuse-derived fuel.
Explaining this, the company said: “the financial landscape for gasification projects has changed: as a relatively new technology in the UK, with few existing plants, funders have been reviewing the performance of recently completed gasification projects before committing substantial funding to new ones. At the same time, government subsidies available to gasification projects have been removed.”
Technology
Corby Ltd said that the “key difference” in the technology from the previously consented scheme was the use of additional oxygen in the energy recovery process.
It said: “The [new] facility comprises a proven, effective technology, with several similar plants operating across the UK and many more in environmentally forward-thinking places like Scandinavia”, adding that it “will not be reliant on subsidies.”
The decision to approve the facility by Northamptonshire county council last month comes despite local concerns over the plant’s impact on air quality and concerns from East Northamptonshire council that nearby historic estates at Kirby Hall and Deene Park would be “visually impacted”.
“There is an overriding need for a treatment facility to process Northamptonshire’s waste within the county”
Corby Ltd said it was now hopeful of securing fuel supply agreements with local authorities and businesses, select a technology provider and “progress with the funding of the project”. The company hopes to start construction on the Energy Recovery Centre (ERC) in 2020.
Facility
Charlie Vavasour, spokesperson for Corby Limited, said: “We are very pleased with the decision to approve the proposed facility at Shelton Road. In proposing a traditional moving grate technology the company is confident of its ability to secure funding for the development of the facility.
“There is an overriding need for a treatment facility to process Northamptonshire’s waste within the county. Corby and Northamptonshire are currently not able to treat their local waste, which is exported outside of the county. Ample waste is available locally to feed the proposed facility and, with Corby and other local towns growing, the Shelton Road ERC will provide the infrastructure to reduce reliance on landfill and treat waste locally, reducing emissions from transportation outside the county.”
The proposed plant would generate 23MW of base load electricity which Corby Ltd said was enough to meet the energy needs of most of the homes in Corby.
Mr Vavasour commented: “As a Combined Heat and Power plant, the facility will be able to provide local businesses with electricity cheaper than they would otherwise get from the National Grid, ensuring Corby remains competitive against other locations for further investment and job creation.”
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