21.5MW biomass facility starts generating energy

A major waste-to-energy project is a step closer to realisation, with the site’s 21.5MW biomass facility now generating low carbon energy.

Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG), a specialist investor and operator in the biomass and waste-to-energy sector, is working to establish a portfolio of bioenergy facilities capable of diverting 1 million tonnes of waste each year from landfill and convert it into additional energy capacity for the UK's National Grid.

Named the Ince Bio Power facility, the new plant is located in Peel Environmental’s Protos site, a £700 million energy hub located within the newly created Energy Innovation District in Ince, Cheshire.

Situated between Manchester and Liverpool, the Protos site is expected to deliver over 3,000 jobs once operational, and a £350 million boost to the economy per annum.

“As one of BIG’s first investments in the bioenergy sector, this major achievement at Ince Bio Power, and within the Protos hub, is an important step in delivering our wider strategy of generating more than 200MW of low carbon power from waste - sustainably supporting the UK’s increasingly electricity-intensive economy, regional economic development and local job creation,” said BIG’s Commercial director Neil Bennett, in a statement.

The Ince Bio Power facility uses waste wood to generate low carbon energy, which will then be used to power thousands of homes and deliver CO2 savings. According to Peel Environmental, these savings add up to around 65,000 tonnes per annum.

“The launch of BIG’s new biomass facility at Protos represents a major landmark investment not only in Protos but in Cheshire and Warrington. Energy is increasingly a top priority for business and we have some of the country’s most energy intensive businesses in our region,” said Philip Cox, chief executive of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership.

“BIG’s new biomass facility is a very welcome low carbon addition to our energy mix, ensuring that we are providing secure, affordable and clean energy, which is vital to our continued economic growth.”