Earlier this week (24 January), North London Waste Authority (NLWA) signed an agreement to build the new Edmonton energy-from-waste (EfW) plant with Spanish infrastructure company ACCIONA.
In a statement, NLWA stated that the plant will convert general waste into electricity for up to 127,000 homes, and heat and hot water for up to 50,000 local homes. The project forms part of the North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP), a £1.2 billion investment in Edmonton, Enfield, which will see the construction of new recycling and waste facilities. The facilities are set to replace a single EfW plant on the site, which began operating in 1971 and is now Europe’s oldest.
NLWA’s chair Cllr Clyde Loakes said: “With contracts signed and sealed with ACCIONA, work now begins on the next stage of one of the most sustainable and nationally significant projects ever to tackle waste and increase recycling rates, and one which greatly boosts employment opportunities in the area.
“ACCIONA will expertly build the ERF section utilizing the world’s best tech including Selective Catalytic Reduction technology, which converts the nitrogen oxide created by incinerating waste into water and nitrogen, a harmless gas that makes up 78 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere. It’s the same tech used at the Amager Bakke/Copenhill ERF in Copenhagen, recently featured in the BBC’s Earthshot Prize and which even has a dry ski slope on the exterior because the pollution controls are so effective.
In parallel with the project, NLWA’s focus continues apace on preventing waste in the first place by urging Government and business to make vital systemic changes and through ongoing community engagement. NLWA is leading the way on recycling too, dealing with difficult items such as mattresses and expanded polystyrene as well as ensuring recyclable plastic is processed only in the UK.”
Following two rounds of public consultation, a development consent order (DCO) was granted for the Edmonton EfW plant in 2017, with NLWA taking the decision to forge ahead with plans for the facility in 2013, after halting its procurement process for new waste services and fuel contracts. At the time, it was estimated that the authority could save up to £900 million over 27 years by pursuing its own facility, instead of working with other companies.
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