Member Article

£250m invested in Teesside waste energy facility

Singapore’s Sembcorp Industries will develop a new energy-from-waste facility in Teesside, capable of processing up to 450,000 tonnes of municipal waste per year.

The £250m facility is a joint-venture between Sembcorp, SITA UK and Japan’s ITOCHU Corporation.

Waste will come from Merseyside by rail to be be processed at Sembcorp’s Wilton International site.

Another facility will also be developed to manage the waste at Knowsley, Merseyside. Both projects are expected to be working by 2016.

Dr Stan Higgins, CEO of NEPIC, commented: “This is fantastic news for Sembcorp and its partners. Wilton 11 recovering energy from waste is hugely encouraging for the Teesside, highlighting the regions industrial infrastructure and engineering capabilities which are so important in the delivery of such a project.

“This project comes with a thirty year contract providing steady jobs on Teesside; not only for the 50 direct employees at Wilton 11 but also the support functions involved in running all aspects of a business on Teesside –internally and via the supply chain.

“The project recognises the regions renewable and energy production expertise. Sembcorp’s previous major energy project, Wilton 10, was itself a pioneering investment. It was the UK’s first energy from wood power station of any size. Congratulations to all concerned.”

Tang Kin Fei, Group President & CEO of Sembcorp Industries, said, “We are very pleased to embark on this project and to develop a new energy-from-waste facility at our Wilton International site, a quality industrial site that offers integrated services, from land, utilities to infrastructure, to customers there.

“This new energy-from-waste facility will complement our existing assets at the site to generate power and steam competitively, enhancing the competitiveness of our UK operations. It is also a significant milestone as we continue to grow our renewable energy capabilities. We look forward to working closely with our partners and the local authorities on this exciting new project.”

Stephen Catchpole, managing director of Tees Valley Unlimited, the Local Enterprise Partnership for Tees Valley, said: “This is fantastic news and will help develop the local economy, expand the area’s renewable energy capabilities and create a substantial number of jobs.

“The announcement is testament to the bold and imaginative composition of our Enterprise Zone. Wilton International is at the heart of Tees Valley’s industrial scene. We, along with our partners and stakeholders, have been and will continue to work together to ensure that the area continues to attract significant investment that will drive forward economic prosperity.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .