Vital Energi has secured a major contract to deliver a new energy from waste facility near Burton Upon Trent which will add 18MWe of green energy to the grid
The Drakelow Energy from Waste plant has been designed by the Vital Energi team and will be built, owned and operated by the Vital Energi Group.
In addition to generating 18MWe of low-carbon electricity, the Drakelow Energy from Waste facility will also make a valuable contribution to diverting waste from landfill with the capability of processing 169,000 tonnes of non-recyclable Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) each year.
Ashley Malin, Vital Energi’s project development director, said: “The UK faces many environmental challenges and this facility is an exciting opportunity to reduce carbon emissions and divert waste from landfill. We are extremely excited to be delivering and operating this facility, which will make a positive contribution to the UK’s low-carbon infrastructure.
“We have worked with a team of industry experts in the Energy from Waste (EfW) sector to bring this project to market and we would like to thank them for their contributions to deliver a major project that will contribute to the UK’s low carbon infrastructure.”
Vital Energi has been supported by a range of specialist companies which includes:
- Squire Patton Boggs – provided legal support for all aspects of the transaction from the outset to financial close.
- Royal Haskoning – has been the technical advisor on the project, along with providing additional support on the key technology islands ensuring what is procured and designed aligns with proven market standards. They will play a key role going forward as the ‘owners engineer’.
- Future Earth Energy (FEE) – is the developer of the scheme who set up and owned ‘ProjectCo’ and procured the planning permission, environmental permit, land option, grid connection and the fuel supplier for the Drakelow facility.
- EON – owns the land on which the Drakelow Energy from Waste Facility will be built and has provided a long-term lease and laydown area lease.
- Beauparc Group worked with Brian McCabe (MD) and his team and has been awarded the exclusive fuel supply agreement and will supply Vital Energi with 169,000 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel over the long-term supply contract.
The RDF is combusted, and the syngas produced during this process is then consumed by the boiler to create steam which then drives the 18MWe steam turbine which generates electricity.
An additional benefit of the project is that Vital Energi has designed the facility so that the heat generated can be used to provide heat and hot water for nearby developments should demand arise.
The new energy from waste facility is scheduled to be completed by 2023.
