Second 50 MW Plasma Gasification Waste to Energy Plant Underway in Teesside, UK

Construction work has begun on Air Products’ second 50 MW plasma gasification waste to energy facility on Teesside, North East England. Earlier today Francis Maude Minister for the Cabinet Office, broke ground at the facility in a ceremony which was hosted by David Taylor, vice president of Air Products’ Energy Business. Dubbed ‘Tees Valley 2’ (TV2), the facility is expected to create 750 new jobs over the next two to three years, as well as 50 permanent jobs when the plant enters commercial operation. The Minister visited the construction site for TV2 in Stockton on Tees near Billingham, following the Cabinet Office’s decision last year to purchase the plant’s power output for a 20 year period. The Cabinet Office’s energy contract with Air Products is part of the government’s ‘Energy for Growth’ program and is expected to meet 2% of the government's overall energy consumption. “This new facility is a flagship for our Energy for Growth programme, supporting jobs for the North East and generating reliable, renewable energy while also saving taxpayers money,” commented the Minister. The facility is scheduled to come on-stream in 2016 and will use the same Alter NRG advanced gasification technology as TV1 to convert pre-processed municipal, commercial and industrial waste - otherwise destined for landfill - into enough energy to power 50,000 homes. It is anticipated that once operational the waste to energy facility will process up to 350,000 tonnes of non-recyclable residual waste. During his visit to the site, the Minister also took the opportunity to tour Air Products’ first waste to energy facility, TV1. According to the company, TV1 is planned to be in start-up phase later this year and will be in commercial operation in 2015. Once completed, it will be the largest plasma gasification waste to energy facility in the world. The two renewable energy facilities will contribute to revitalisation of the local economy and help to foster a green skills base in advanced clean technology in the North East of England. “Our agreement with the Cabinet Office serves as a strong endorsement to our state-of-the-art renewable energy projects and to the Teesside area as a leading renewable energy technology centre,” commented Taylor. Read More Is Waste Gasification Finally Coming of Age? Spurred by government incentives and a stable regulatory environment, Air Products has begun construction of a 50 MW plasma gasification facility in Teesside. With the company already planning a second such plant at the site - as well as others around the country - is the waste industry entering the age of gasification? By Ben Messenger. Second Plasma Gasification Plant for Teesside Air Products is to build a second 350,000 tonne per year waste to energy plasma gasification facility on Teesside following the signing of a 20 year power purchase agreement with the UK government's Cabinet Office. The Waste Gasification Debate While a number of major projects are underway globally, waste gasification has a chequered past. Many argue that when traditional thermal treatment with heat recovery is able to achieve such high efficiencies, gasification is complex and unnecessary. Others point to low emissions and the potential to produce products such as hydrogen. WMW asked some experts for their thoughts on the subject…