04/09/2024
Plans to build a pioneering carbon capture plant to absorb CO2 emissions from the Protos energy-from-waste facility in the North West moved closer this week when the project won the approval of the local planning authority. Cheshire West and Chester Council’s planning committee unanimously resolved to grant approval, subject to the completion of a Section 106 legal agreement.
Project developer Encyclis has welcomed the decision of as a giant step towards its ambition of establishing the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture plant for energy-from-waste.
In a report to the committee, planning officers said: “The reduction of carbon emissions and energy generation is supported at national level, within legislation, guidance and policy. The proposed development would be one of the first such developments in the UK. As such, the proposal would positively contribute to meeting climate change
initiatives and support economic growth.”
The project has already been selected by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) as part of its Track-1 cluster sequencing programme for industrial carbon capture.
The first-of-its-kind carbon capture plant is set to prevent around 380,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere, enabling fully sustainable treatment of unrecyclable residual household and commercial waste at Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF), which is currently being constructed near Ellesmere Port by joint owners Encyclis and Biffa. Capturing that amount of carbon is estimated to be equivalent to taking around 200,000 cars off the road.
When it begins operations, Protos ERF will process up to 500,000 tonnes per year of residual waste, generating enough baseload electricity to power around 75,000 homes and recovering reusable resources in support of the circular economy.
The proposed carbon capture plant, on adjoining land, will capture CO2 from the facility which, as part of the region’s HyNet decarbonisation cluster, will be transported by pipeline for offshore storage in the depleted gas fields of Liverpool Bay.
The aim is to demonstrate the potential of carbon capture at commercial scale and provide a technical and commercial blueprint for similar facilities around the country.
The construction of the plant will support around 250 jobs in the North West region, and an additional seven full-time skilled jobs will be created when it begins operations.
Owen Michaelson, CEO at Encyclis, said: “We’re delighted by the council’s decision, which represents another significant step forward on our important journey to deliver carbon capture at commercial scale. This project will contribute to regeneration and jobs in the North West, stimulate green growth throughout the supply chain and unlock opportunities to be a global leader in carbon capture. Our goal is to prove that we can continue to deliver a vital public sanitation service while cutting the CO2 emissions that contribute to climate change. We thank the local authority for its careful and efficient consideration of our application and recognising the strategic importance of this project.”
About Encyclis
Protos Energy Recovery Facility and its associated carbon capture project are jointly owned by Encyclis and Biffa. Encyclis provides energy recovery infrastructure which turn residual waste into low-carbon electricity, heat and other reusable materials. Formerly known as Covanta Europe, our state-of-the-art energy recovery facilities support the transition to a circular economy by making productive use of residual waste that would otherwise go to landfill.
Encyclis is part-owner and operator of four fully operational EfW facilities: Rookery South ERF in Bedfordshire; Newhurst ERF in Leicestershire; Dublin Waste to Energy in Ireland; and Earls Gate Energy Centre in Scotland. Further facilities are currently under construction: Protos ERF in Cheshire, and Walsall ERF in the West Midlands. The company is investing in processing plants to recycle the metals and produce aggerates from the bottom ash that remains after thermal treatment of waste. The company’s first dedicated plant recently opened in Northamptonshire and another is under construction in Dublin. When complete, these combined facilities will process up to 300,000 tonnes of ash per year, bringing Encyclis closer to its target of achieving 100% circularity in operations by 2030.
With over 250 employees, our existing facilities operate 24/7 to collectively divert 1.5 million tonnes of waste from landfill every year and generate enough electricity to power nearly 300,000 homes. With expertise stretching back over three decades, extensive partnerships and continuous innovation, Encyclis provides a progressive solution for waste management on the road to Net Zero.