Wheelabrator WTE plant goes online in UK

Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based Wheelabrator Technologies says its new waste-to-energy (WTE) facility at Kemsley in Kent, United Kingdom, has entered into full commercial operation following a commissioning phase in early 2020.

Wheelabrator Kemsley is now operational as a combined heat and power (CHP) facility and will generate up to 49.9 gross megawatts (MW) and 44 net MW of baseload electricity annually, says the firm. The facility will consume up to 550,000 metric tons of what Wheelabrator calls non-recyclable waste collected in Kent and other parts of southeast England. The facility is pending planning approval for additional input capacity and electrical output, adds the firm.

The WTE facility “will play a major role in reducing waste sent to landfill or for European export, saving carbon emissions when compared with sending the waste to landfill, and making better use of non-recyclable material in the U.K. through the energy recovery process,” states Wheelabrator.

The plant also provide steam heat – up to 70 metric tons per hour – to DS Smith’s adjacent Kemsley Paper Mill. Says Colin McIntyre, CEO of DS Smith’s paper and recycling divisions, “Harvesting steam from Wheelabrator Technologies’ facility for our paper mill at Kemsley is a key part of our energy strategy. As the largest mill for recycled paper in the U.K., processing almost 1 million metric tons of paper for recycling a year, achieving the right energy mix is vital. With the facility fully operationally, it will supply us with a third of the steam required to run our paper making operations.”

Robert Boucher, President and CEO at Wheelabrator Technologies, comments, “To be able to complete construction, hot commissioning, grid synchronization and steam export to DS Smith during the COVID-19 pandemic is a fantastic accomplishment and a testament to the commitment of our team and our partners to work safely and make a difference.”

Wheelabrator Technologies describes itself as “the largest pure play WTE platform and fourth-largest WTE business in the U.K.”

The company, which also operates two plants in Yorkshire, England, and one in Wales, says it can now convert 2.2 million metric tons of difficult to recycle discarded materials annually, in turn generating enough energy “to power around 500,000 U.K. homes and businesses.”

The company says it has two more WTE projects in development in the U.K., including another one in Yorkshire and one in West Bromwich outside of Birmingham, England.