Swiss plant engineering company Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) recently secured service contracts for two waste-to-energy (wte) plants in the United Kingdom. At the start of July, HZI announced that it had been awarded a 25-year operations and management (O&M) contract at the Slough Multifuel facility by project owners SSE Thermal and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP). The Swiss company currently serves as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the 50/50 joint venture partners.
"We have been really pleased with the way HZI and our team have co-operated during the construction of the Slough Energy from Waste project, and it makes perfect sense to continue this strong working relationship into the operation of the plant," said Tim Forrest, CIP Appointed Director for Slough Multifuel.
According to CIP and SSE Thermal, the Slough Multifuel plant is currently at an advanced stage of construction with first fire due to take place in December 2023. Construction on the plant with a design capacity of 480,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) per year began in May of 2021. The joint venture partners put their investment in the project at around £400m, equivalent to about €465m.
Earls Gate Energy Centre nears completion
HZI is also to be responsible for the commissioning and start-up of the Earls Gate waste to energy (wte) plant in Grangemouth, Scotland, the company announced at the end of June. Project owners Brockwell Energy and Encyclis (formerly Covanta Europe) also awarded the Swiss company a 25-year operations and management contract which is to commence once commissioning is completed.
The Earls Gate Energy Centre (EGEC) has a capacity of 213,000 tonnes of household and commercial and industrial (C&I) waste per year. In addition to an electrical output of 33 MW, the plant has a thermal output of 13 MW. Originally slated to go online last year, the waste to energy project was delayed when the French plant engineering company CNIM and its civil engineering partner Clugston ran into financial trouble.
Brockwell Energy and Encyclis (formerly Covanta) each own 50 per cent of the project. When construction began, Green Investment Group (GIG) held a 25 stake in the plant, but it exited the project in spring of 2022, selling its holding to Covanta.
HZI turns over Newhurst wte plant
June saw HZI achieve another major milestone in the UK, when it handed over the Newhurst Energy Recovery Facility to Encyclis and its joint venture partner, the waste management company Biffa. The plant with a treatment capacity of 350,000 tonnes a year was completed on time after a 36-month construction phase. The plant will be operated by Encyclis, which employs a staff of 50 on site.
