Energy from waste Warming up Plymouth


Plans are afoot for an energy from waste plant with a combined heat and power plant to be built near Devonport Naval Base at Plymouth. Paul Carey looks at the implementation of heat delivery with EfW.


Paul Carey MD, MVV Environment Devonport


F


OR MVV, waste management specialists, December 22, 2011 marked a major milestone in a six-year project to develop and build a new energy


from waste (EfW) combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Plymouth. To be situated on the very north end of


the present Devonport Naval Base, on land owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), this 245,000 tonnes per annum capacity EfW plant will turn the energy contained in household, commercial and industrial residual waste from the South West area of Devon into valuable and sustainable heat and electricity. This project was marked out by its CHP


credentials from day one, something which many projects aspire to deliver but rarely achieve. All too often CHP, and district heating in particular, are dangled in front of planners’ noses as a carrot for granting planning consent, only for it to become a ‘later’ addition to the project. Not so in the case of Devonport. Here, thanks to a 25-year contract with


the MoD to take both heat and power for consumption in the naval base and associated


dockyard, MVV is able to develop a high efficiency CHP plant that will hit the QI spot from day one. Net efficiencies will range from 27%


to 49%. The MoD, with its huge asset forming a centre piece of the modern navy’s infrastructure, is able to take heat and most of the power output delivered by MVV’s EfW CHP plant, and in signing a long term off-take contract enabled MVV to secure the waste disposal contract with the South West Devon Waste Partnership (SWDWP).


In the bag Planning began ahead of MVV’s selection in late 2010 as preferred bidder and continued through 2011 with submission in May. The approval decision in December means


that upon signing a section 106 agreement planning consent is in the bag. With a draft environmental permit in the offing, MVV is now gearing up for main construction to start in the Spring, following the end of any potential judicial review period. The high energy efficiency of the plant,


and its direct connection to the naval base lying to its South, were key factors in the determination of planning consent. CHP from day one of operations was something to which MVV could commit, and MVV has since been


bound legally in the section 106 document to maintain the CHP status. However, the planners needed to be persuaded that more was possible, and with MVV being one of the largest operators of district heating schemes in Germany and the Czech Republic, they were in a strong position to do so.


District heating network Being located on the western side of Plymouth, in an area which contains a densely populated area both MVV and the city planners saw the opportunity to extend the supply of heat into the local community. As part of the planning application MVV


studied the potential of laying a district heating pipe network through the streets of the local area. Plymouth City Council had already had the foresight to investigate district heating potential in 2010 and had embarked on a market testing exercise in early 2011. The development of a large EfW CHP


plant on the western side of the city had the potential to be connected to a wider scheme in due course. MVV examined the potential to take more


heat from the EfW CHP plant (in addition to, rather than in replacement of, heat to the naval base) and looked at a number of zones that could be connected up.


This included an area, originally foreseen


by the city’s planners, in Devonport itself, which lies to the South side of the naval base. The conclusion was that some very local schemes, supplying a few hundred properties, could be supplied with ‘spare’ heat, but not without a capital subsidy. Ironically, the very closest of properties do


not have internal hot water heating systems so for these, district heating was so close physically, yet so far commercially, other sustainable energy schemes being more cost effective in reducing carbon emissions.


Scoping report MVV’s study, entitled Sustainable Energy Study Scoping Report was an important factor for the planners to recommend approval of the EfW CHP plant. As part of its section 106 obligations, MVV will provide funding to Plymouth City Council to enable the latter to carry out a full energy supply company procurement exercise, which will then deliver a district heating network in Plymouth. Hopefully the winning bidder will see the


scheme’s potential and enable the connection of their system to the EfW CHP plant, making the most of the energy contained in the local waste streams and putting Plymouth firmly on the sustainability map.


RWW


Organised by


Conferences


Food Waste 2012 Collection, Processing and Energy Recovery


14 March 2012 Burnhouse Manor Hotel, Ayrshire


Addressing the issues involved with the collection and processing of food waste, bringing together key industry speakers, case studies, practical advice and incorporating a site visit to Barkip Anaerobic Digestion Plant, the largest state-of-the-art anaerobic digestion facility in Scotland, Food Waste 2012 is an event not to be missed.


For more information see www.recyclingwasteworld.co.uk/conferences phone 01722 717031 or email rebecca.hathaway-white@markallengroup.co.uk


TOMORROW’S THINKING TODAY 8 February 2 2012 www. r e c y c l i n gwa s t ewo r l d . c o . u k Recycling & WA S T E W O R L D


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12