(L-R): MWH Global Director Blair Lavoie and Spencer Group Chief Executive Frank Millar

A joint venture between environmental engineering firm MWH Treatment (a subsidiary of MWH Global) and the Spencer Group has been selected as the preferred bidder for the Energy Works gasification plant contract in Hull.

Energy Works (Hull) Ltd (a 'spin off' company of Spencer Group) yesterday (30 April) named the joint venture as preferred bidder for the ‘Engineer, Procure and Construct (EPC) wrap contract’ to deliver the first phase of development for the energy-from-waste facility, with construction due to begin ‘early in 2015’.

Scheduled to come on line in March 2017, the plant is expected to become the UK’s ‘first’ power station to use advanced gasification technology fuelled with residual waste.

Gasification plant details

The Energy Works plant, which has already received planning permission, will sort, pre-treat and process different types of waste using a combination of technologies including:

• fluidised bed gasification that will produce 28 megawatts of electricity (MWe) from solid recovered fuel (SRF) produced onsite from ‘commercial, industrial and municipal sources’; the end product of in-vessel composting; pre-processed SRF; and processed waste wood;
• a three megawatt-tonne anaerobic digestion facility that will process wet, organic waste that cannot be processed by gasification; and
• an in-vessel composting plant that will dry digestate and break down organic material unsuitable for gasification or anaerobic digestion.

According to Energy Works, the complete facility will process 200,000 tonnes of waste from municipal, commercial and industrial sources and produce sufficient electricity to power 28,000 homes.

The company also claims that the plant will potentially cut waste sent to landfill by local authorities in Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire by 90 per cent (in 2011/12 the authorities sent approximately 139,000 tonnes of waste to landfill); and create 40 jobs once fully operational in 2015 as well as 200 construction jobs at the peak of development.

‘Offering the ideal partnership to deliver this ground-breaking project’

Energy Works Project Director Phil Morland said: “We are pleased to announce the joint venture of MWH Treatment and Spencer Group as our preferred bidder. The two companies are a good fit, with complementary capabilities, and offer the ideal partnership to deliver this groundbreaking project.

“There is a clear synergy between the partners – MWH brings a wealth of experience in energy recovery projects and a strong thermal process capability, while Spencer has vast experience in executing complex multi-disciplinary energy projects and a track record of delivering large civil, electrical and bulk handling works.”

MWH Global Director Blair Lavoie added: “We have worked with Spencer Group for some time on this project and we are delighted that our joint venture has been named as preferred bidder.

“We see our complementary capabilities as the ideal combination to deliver a project that will generate electricity by diverting a significant amount of material that would otherwise need to be landfilled.”

Speaking on behalf of the Spencer Group, Chief Executive Frank Millar commented: “We are delighted to have been selected, in partnership with MWH Treatment, as preferred contractors for such an exciting and pioneering development.

“As a company founded and based in Hull, our involvement will ensure local employment will be a major priority. This project will create and underpin jobs within our business and open up much-needed employment opportunities within the local community.”

Largest ever DCLG grant awarded to Energy Works

Energy Works has also said that it is in ‘advanced discussions’ with feedstock suppliers and has appointed BDO as financial advisor. It is also ‘exploring the opportunity’ to establish a £20-million data centre nearby.

Last year, the project was awarded a £19.9 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The grant, managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), is reportedly the ‘largest ever’ for an energy-generation scheme in England and one of the biggest for any project in the UK.

Read more about the Energy Works plant in Hull.