Largest eco-gas fired plant in UK coming to London to power over 15,000 homes

100,000 more tonnes of the capital’s annual waste will soon be turned into green energy, with £12m of guarantee funding due to be approved by the London Waste and Recycling Board today (8th December).

The funding will help secure the development of an £80 million waste plant which will use new, clean technology to process local waste in a more environmentally friendly way to landfill or traditional incineration. Using a process called gasification to generate electricity, the state of the art facility will be the first of its kind in London and the largest in the UK.

The Board was established to help catalyse the development of leading edge waste technologies. Since the Board announced its intention to back the East London Sustainable Energy Facility initiative a number of banks have now registered their interest in the plant, which is being developed by Biossence Ltd in Havering.

The plant is expected to create 20 permanent jobs when completed and will convert non-recyclable household waste into clean renewable electricity which will power over 15,000 local homes. The project supports the Mayor’s decentralised energy vision with the plant situated on the local Ford factory at Dagenham.

The Board, chaired by the Mayor of London Boris Johnson, is also expected to agree to invest £5 million over the next three years in Recycle for London. This is an ongoing campaign to reduce waste and to drive up reuse and recycling in the capital and help divert much more of the 3.4 million tonnes of waste, produced by Londoners each year, away from landfill sites. This is vital in the build up to and beyond the 2012 Games as London’s population grows.

The campaign’s plans for influencing public behaviour over the coming years was commended by the Board for its strong focus on the individual waste-handling requirements of London’s different communities, and will be further boosted by support and expertise equivalent to £2million from WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). This combined with further efficiencies identified in executing the campaign brings its value to nearer £10 million, doubling the Board’s investment.

The Mayor Boris Johnson said:

“As the world meets to discuss climate change, London is taking practical action to tackle all aspects of waste that damages our environment. There are millions to be made from the capital’s waste if we turn it into a resource, as this innovative project in east London is set to do. Not only will this help cut carbon and divert waste from landfill, it will create welcome green collar jobs.

‘It is common sense that, as well as investing in the infrastructure to processes the capital’s waste, we must also encourage Londoners to recycle as much as possible or reuse items that could just get chucked away. The Recycle for London campaign is designed to achieve this working hand in hand with borough councils.”

Source: http://www.london.gov.uk