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Hull gasification project appoints new contractor

The developer of a 240,000 tonnes-per-year capacity waste gasification plant in Hull, Energy Works (Hull) Ltd, has appointed engineering firm Black & Veatch to oversee the completion of the facility.

A drone image of the Hull Energy Works facility, taken in February 2019

This comes after the original engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, MW High Tech Projects UK was removed from the project last month, with the developer citing ‘significant delays’ to the delivery of the plant (see letsrecycle.com story).

A drone image of the Hull Energy Works facility, taken in February 2019

Black & Veatch, through a joint venture with engineering and consultancy firm MWH Treatment – which is not linked to MW High Tech Products – worked on the Ince Bio Power waste wood gasification facility in Cheshire. The facility became fully operational last month (see letsrecycle.com story). Ince Bio Power has been developed by Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG) – which is also a shareholder in the Hull gasification plant.

Hamish McPherson, chief executive of BIG, said: “Black & Veatch has demonstrated both technical capability and organisational commitment to the renewable energy industry, including as a lead contractor at our Ince Bio Power project in Cheshire, and we are delighted to have brought them on board in Hull.

“This represents very good news not only for this facility but for the city of Hull. We have regenerated a brownfield site, will be enabling other local businesses to reduce their carbon footprint, and will be providing clean energy to the local grid.”

Contractor

Black & Veatch describes itself as an employee-owned, ‘global leader’ in building critical human infrastructure in energy, water, telecommunications and government services.

Peter Hughes, director of business development – Europe, Black & Veatch, said: “Black & Veatch are pleased to be supporting Bioenergy Infrastructure Group to oversee the final stages of commissioning of the Energy Works Hull (EWH) project.”

The Energy Works plant is designed to have a single fluidised bed gasifier feeding a boiler and steam turbine generator with feedstock preparation, storage and associated plant all located on site.

The MPT – mechanical pre-treatment plant – and fuel conveying system for Energy Works which receives the RDF prepared by suppliers from municipal and C&I waste, has been designed, manufactured and constructed by Sutco UK, part of the LM Group.

Construction of the Hull plant began in January 2016 but the facility has missed its initial 2018 deadline for completion. Hot commissioning of the plant began in April 2018 (see letsrecycle.com story), and in late 2018 the company said it expected the plant to be fully operational by Spring 2019. However, it has not confirmed if this timetable is still expected.

The project was awarded a £19.9 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund in 2013.

[Update: 5/4/2019, 15:40 – Paragraph 3 updated to clarify that there is no link between MW High Tech Projects UK and MWH Treatment]

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