Minister launches Phase 1 of energy-from-waste plant
Economy Minister Edwina Hart has launched work on the first phase of a £100m-plus energy-fromwaste plant in the South Wales valleys. The Materials Recycling Facility is part of the Enviroparks Wales facility on a 20-acre site in Hirwaun.
Enviroparks is a Welsh company and the only operator in the country to receive UK government backing via a £150m, 15-year renewable energy subsidy to produce green electricity from the advanced thermal treatment of waste.
This energy will be used to power the bespoke Hirwaun industrial site with spare capacity electricity sold to the electricity market.
Swansea-based Dawnus Construction has been contracted to build the recycling facility, the first phase of the multi-phase project which will create some 200 jobs during construction and similar in the long term.
Mrs Hart said: “Energy is one of our priority economic sectors with high growth potential, and in particular there are significant renewable energy opportunities in Wales.
“This Enviroparks development has the potential to create hundreds of jobs as well as contribute to our long-term energy security, while supporting our recycling efforts.
“I am very pleased to see this project go ahead with Welsh Government support, as it will contribute to our objective for Wales to become a world leader in green energy.”
Enviroparks’ managing director, David Williams, said: “It’s taken us a while to get to this point in a challenging financial market, but we now have the key partnerships to commence the development and get under way in Hirwaun.
“We are so pleased to have a fellow Welsh company, Dawnus, on board as our construction partner, and we are having ongoing discussions with waste management companies to deliver waste to Enviroparks to be turned into energy.
“The Welsh Government has been hugely supportive in our endeavours to create green energy and jobs in this part of the Valleys, and so we are delighted to welcome Mrs Hart to the site to get the project officially under way.”
Enviroparks has an environmental permit from Natural Resources Wales to build a materials recycling and fuel preparation facility, followed by the development of a gasification plant to produce electricity from the fuels produced on site.
The third phase will focus on producing electricity from organic wastes via an anaerobic digestion facility.
Once the plant is operational, non-hazardous domestic and commercial waste will come on site before dangerous items such as gas bottles are removed.
The waste will then be shredded and sorted according to size, and metals and plastics removed. What remains is a refuse derived fuel which will be used to generate electricity.
A key part of the Enviroparks concept is the co-location of a highenergy user who will occupy the 10,000 sq metre industrial unit planned for the northern half of the site. Discussions to secure an appropriate occupier are under way.
Dawnus’ regional manager, Lee Davies, said: “I love the innovation in the concept for the facility and I see this as the start of a long and successful relationship between Dawnus and Enviroparks.
“Since our involvement I have been part of a large team of people who have put in so much hard work to overcome an endless series of challenges to get to this point.
“So unsurprisingly we are delighted to have got over the final hurdle and Phase 1 of this great project can finally get on to site for construction.
“As a Welsh company who employs staff, direct labour and plant from the local area, I can genuinely say that this project will help ensure the security of those jobs within Dawnus and will also create new employment and opportunities for our supply chain within the local area over the coming year and beyond as future phases progress.”
The Enviroparks development will provide significant economic benefits for the South Wales Valleys, with inward investment into the region expected to reach as much as £170m.
Mr Williams added: “As someone born in the Valleys and who grew up in the Brecon Beacons, this is a significant step forward in delivering green industry and jobs to the region.”
Along with the Welsh Government, Enviroparks is also working with financiers Zeus Renewables, consulting engineers Pell Frischmann, consultants ChandlerKBS, and specialist property asset managers Best International.
Andy Currie, director at Zeus Renewables, said: “This represents just the beginning of the development, with the construction of the anaerobic digestion and advanced conversion technology phases anticipated to begin in the next 12 months.
“It’s an extremely exciting time, as once all works are complete, Hirwaun will be home to a state-ofthe-art waste management facility.”