Teesside EfW

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Teesside Energy-from-Waste plant
Teesside wte.JPG
Teesside EfW plant
Viewed from the east in June 2009
Teesside EfW
CountryEngland
Location Billingham
Coordinates 54°35′45″N1°15′30″W / 54.59583°N 1.25833°W / 54.59583; -1.25833 Coordinates: 54°35′45″N1°15′30″W / 54.59583°N 1.25833°W / 54.59583; -1.25833
StatusOperational
Commission date May 1998
Operator(s) SITA UK
(1998–present)
Thermal power station
Primary fuelMunicipal waste
Secondary fuelNon-hazardous and commercial waste
Power generation
Units operationalOne 19.2 MW Ansaldo
One 10 MW Von Roll
Nameplate capacity 29.2 MW
External links
Website SITA UK
Commons Related media on Commons
[ edit on Wikidata]

Teesside Energy from Waste plant (also known as Teesside WTE power station or Haverton Hill incinerator) is a municipal waste incinerator and waste-to-energy power station, which provides 29.2 megawatts (MW) of electricity for the National Grid by burning 390,000 tonnes of household and commercial waste a year. It is located on the River Tees at Haverton Hill, east of Billingham in North East England. Developed and built by NEM, a subsidiary of Northumbrian Water, the initial plant replaced the Portrack Incinerator and opened in 1998. Subsequently, the facility became part of SITA, now Suez.

Contents

The station is one of the most modern incinerators operating in England; it is noted for its innovative operation. In 2009, an extension was completed at the station, with the construction of an extra furnace line and a rail head. This increased the capacities of the plant from 19.2 MW and 250,000 tonnes of waste per year to its current levels. The plant initially received waste from Teesside and North Tyneside, but this was extended to include Northumberland with the 2009 extension.

A second plant, the North East Energy Recovery Centre (NEERC), has been built on land adjacent to the first plant. This extends the site's catchment to include waste from south Tyne and Wear.

History

Replacement for Portrack

Between 1975 and 1996, the Portrack Incinerator on the River Tees burned 200,000 tonnes of Teesside's waste every year. In November 1996, the plant was closed down because its design meant it could not achieve the new emission regulations that were to be introduced; it was then demolished in stages between 1998 and 2000. [1] Following the closure of the Portrack plant, a new facility to burn Teesside's refuse was constructed. Teesside Energy from Waste plant was opened in May 1998 as a collaboration with the local authorities of Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Hartlepool and Redcar & Cleveland. [2]

Third incineration line

In December 2006, SITA UK signed a 28-year private finance initiative contract worth £70 million with Northumberland County Council, to provide it with waste management services and to reduce the county's reliance upon landfill. [3] [4] This included the construction of an extra incineration line at the Teesside plant. Civil construction of the extension began in April 2007, with heavy erection beginning that November. Von Roll was the general contractor for the entire extension. [5] In May 2009, the third line, was brought into operation. [4] [6] It was officially opened on 8 October 2009 by former MP Hilary Armstrong, SITA UK Chief Executive David Palmer-Jones, and Northumberland County Councillor Jeff Reid. [7] At various times, between 60 and 100 people were employed in building the third line, and an additional 20 full-time jobs were created for its operation once open. Built on time and within budget, the extension surpassed expectations in its first year of operation. [4] [7] A year after the opening of the third line, only a fifth of the amount of waste that was being sent to landfill in Northumberland prior to its opening was still being sent there. [4]

Design and specification

The plant is a large metal-clad building. The metal is finished in the colour 'Goosewing Grey', accented in 'Solent Blue' and 'Poppy Red'. The plant's clean, clear lines and colours are said to "contrast favourably" with the nearby industrial buildings. [8]

Until 2009, the station had two operating furnace lines, which together were capable of burning a total of 250,000 tonnes of waste per year, and generated 20 MW of electricity. However, in May 2009 a third line was brought into operation. The plant currently burns 360,000 tonnes of waste a year and generates 29.2 MW of electricity. This is enough electricity to power 60,000 homes. [2] [8]

The original plant uses Babcock & Wilcox Volund boilers to provide steam for a single Ansaldo turbo generator rated at 19.2 MW. [9] The third line uses a Von Roll Inova reciprocating grate to burn the waste, and generates electricity using a single Von Roll Inova three-pass steam generator, rated at 10 MW. [5]

Operations

The station operates constantly, burning municipal household waste from the local councils of Stockton-on-Tees, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, North Tyneside and Northumberland. [2] [10] When there is a shortfall in household waste, non-hazardous industrial and commercial waste is used to make up capacity. [2] [8] The station burns only residual waste, which is material left over after recycling. [8] The incinerator operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. [10]

Waste is delivered to the station by road, using up to 100 waste collection vehicles. More than 1,000 tonnes of waste a day is delivered to the plant. [2] [8] [10] A rail head was also built on the railway sidings adjacent to the site in 2009. This allows for waste to be delivered to the plant by rail, rather than just by road. This is more sustainable as it reduces the amount of traffic on local roads. [8] [11] In December 2011, it was announced that the rail head would be used to receive up 500,000 tonnes of residual waste per year from Merseyside via a rail waste transfer facility at Knowsley Industrial Park, Kirkby, in a contract worth £400 million. [12]

Waste arriving at the plant is checked in and weighed, before being delivered to the plant's reception hall. The large reception hall allows the vehicles to dump their waste safely. Air for the combustion of the waste later in the plant is drawn from the reception hall so that odour and dust doesn't escape the building. From the hall, waste is tipped into a large concrete bunker. Here the feedstock is homogenised by a crane operator, who mixes the waste and removes unsuitable items. A grab crane then manoeuvres waste from the bunker to the hoppers that feed the furnace. This crane is operated from a control room. This room also monitors the equipment in the plant, the combustion gases and maximises the efficiency of the plant. [10]

From the hoppers, the waste falls onto the furnace-charging chute and from there onto the incinerating grate. [10] Here it is burned at a temperature in excess of 1,200 °C. [13] This heat is then converted into super heated steam through the plant's boilers. This in turn powers steam turbines, much in the same way as a conventional thermal power station. Electricity is generated at 11 kilovolts. After exiting the turbines, the steam is condensed back to water. The original two incineration lines use river water from the Tees as a cooling medium, whereas in the third line, water is condensed through air cooled condensers. The cooled water is treated and reused in the boilers. [10]

Gases from the furnace are cleaned using selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR), spray absorbers and active carbon injection. These processes remove nitrogen oxides, acidic gasses, dioxins and heavy metals from the plants emissions. The remaining gases are passed through fine-fabric bag filters to remove any particles, before it is released from the chimney. Each incineration line has its own independent stack in the chimney, and the flue gases are continuously monitored before being released. This information is relayed to the control room. The remaining fly ash from the filters contains particles from the incineration, lime from the spray absorbers, salt and carbon dust, and so is stored in a sealed silo until it is taken from the site for disposal. Incinerator bottom ash left on the incineration grate after the burning is moved by conveyor to a bunker. Whilst on the conveyor, a magnet removes ferrous metal from the ash for recycling. [10] The remaining ash is then used as an aggregate in the construction industry. [2]

A recycling centre operates next to the plant, which opened in December 2001. In 2006 a composting facility was opened. [2]

Environmental impact

Waste to energy plants are strictly monitored, and the plant has achieved various ISO external certificates. The plant is seen to be at the forefront of sustainable energy production and waste disposal. The plant not only reduces the amount of waste sent to landfill, but displaces the burning of depleting fossil fuels, and makes significant contributions to meeting the North East region's waste recovery and recycling targets. [14]

North East Energy Recovery Centre

A rendition of the planned second plant NEERC.jpg
A rendition of the planned second plant

In 2008, it was announced SITA had plans to build another EfW plant adjacent to the current one, named the North East Energy Recovery Centre (NEERC). SITA UK began consulting key partners, stakeholders and local residents on these plans in April 2008, before submitting a formal planning application that summer. [15] Permission for the plant's construction was granted on 15 October 2008. [16] On 17 September 2010, it was announced that SITA had signed a contract with the South Tyne and Wear Waste Management Partnership for their waste to be burned at NEERC once the plant was completed. Construction is expected to begin in early 2011, in time for a 2013 completion date. [17]

NEERC is expected to be capable of handling up to 190,000 tonnes of waste per year. This waste will be burned to generate electricity for the National Grid and cogenerate to provide heat for local industries in the form of steam. [17] NEERC will have two processing lines, capable of generating 21 MW of electricity, enough to provide for 37,500 homes. [15] [17] This means that over the two facilities, 640,000 tonnes of waste will be burned annually, and over 50 MW of electricity generated. [16] This would make Teesside the largest operational EfW centre in the UK outside London. [17] The plant will be a mirror image of the current one, and will create 160 jobs; 25 in South Tyne and Wear, 100 in the construction of the plant, and the rest once the plant is operational. [17]

In August 2010, SITA teamed up with Sembcorp UK to build another waste-to-energy facility in the Teesside region. Wilton 11 on the Wilton International complex is to burn a further 400,000 tonnes of waste in the region whilst generating 35 MW of electricity. The plant is expected to be operational by 2015. [6]

Related Research Articles

Incineration Waste treatment process

Incineration is a waste treatment process that involves the combustion of substances contained in waste materials. Industrial plants for waste incineration are commonly referred to as waste-to-energy facilities. Incineration and other high-temperature waste treatment systems are described as "thermal treatment". Incineration of waste materials converts the waste into ash, flue gas and heat. The ash is mostly formed by the inorganic constituents of the waste and may take the form of solid lumps or particulates carried by the flue gas. The flue gases must be cleaned of gaseous and particulate pollutants before they are dispersed into the atmosphere. In some cases, the heat that is generated by incineration can be used to generate electric power.

Portrack Human settlement in England

Portrack is a housing and industrial estate in Stockton-on-Tees. It is situated close to Billingham opposite Thornaby and just west of Middlesbrough. Portrack was the site of a large municipal incinerator which took in and burned waste from all over Teesside. The incinerator was closed in 1996 and demolished in 1999 and 2000.

Waste-to-energy plant

A waste-to-energy plant is a waste management facility that combusts wastes to produce electricity. This type of power plant is sometimes called a trash-to-energy, municipal waste incineration, energy recovery, or resource recovery plant.

Waste-to-energy Process of generating energy from the primary treatment of waste

Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) is the process of generating energy in the form of electricity and/or heat from the primary treatment of waste, or the processing of waste into a fuel source. WtE is a form of energy recovery. Most WtE processes generate electricity and/or heat directly through combustion, or produce a combustible fuel commodity, such as methane, methanol, ethanol or synthetic fuels.

Allington Quarry Waste Management Facility Waste management centre in Allington, Kent

The Allington Quarry Waste Management Facility is an integrated waste management centre in Allington, Kent. It is the site of the Allington Energy from Waste (EfW) Incinerator. The incinerator is owned by FCC Environment as Kent Enviropower. The facility, which has involved an investment of over £150 Million, is able to process 500,000 tonnes per annum of waste and has the ability to produce 40MW of power. The facility takes non-hazardous waste from households and businesses in Kent and the surrounding area for recycling and energy recovery. Materials separated by householders are sorted and sent for recycling, with the remainder being used to generate electricity to power the facility and for the local supply network.

Kirklees EfW

The Kirklees EfW is a major moving grate incineration plant in Huddersfield, Kirklees, England. The incinerator is owned and operated by Suez Recycling and Recovery UK who signed a 25-year contract with Kirklees Council in 1998 with an option to increase the time period to 2028. The plant is integral to the waste strategy and Unitary Development plan of Kirklees Council, treating 150,000 tonnes of locally generated municipal waste, which when incinerated, will produce enough electricity to power 15,000 homes. Only 136,000 tonnes of waste is actually incinerated, the other tonnages permitted are recovered materials such as metals and Incinerator bottom ash (IBA) and Fly ash.

SITA is the main brand representing Suez's waste subsidiaries in Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific zone and Australia.

The Bolton WtE is a waste power station constructed in 1971 in Bolton, and is a major landmark of its skyline. The incinerator burns up to 20 tonnes of household waste per hour or 85,000 t per year, and can generate up to 11 MW of electricity. The plant is operated by Suez Recycling and Recovery UK. The Bolton incinerator is the only household waste incinerator in Greater Manchester.

Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility

The Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility, also known as the Energy from Waste Plant, is a modern incinerator which treats Sheffield's household waste. It is notable as it not only provides electricity from the combustion of waste but also supplies heat to a local district heating scheme, making it one of the most advanced, energy efficient incineration plants in the UK. In 2004, the district heating network prevented 15,108 tonnes of CO2 from being released from buildings across the city, compared to energy derived from fossil fuels. The incinerator is a 'static asset' owned by Sheffield City Council and operated by Veolia Environmental Services under a 35 year integrated waste management contract (IWMC)/PFI contract.

SELCHP

South East London Combined Heat and Power, better known as SELCHP, is a major energy from waste incineration plant in South Bermondsey, London. It was designed to generate both heat and electricity. The plant can generate up to 35 MegaWatts of power using a steam turbine in electricity only mode. It can incinerate up to 420,000 tonnes per year of municipal solid waste.

Cory Riverside Energy

Cory Riverside Energy has operated a waste disposal since 2011 in the London Borough of Bexley. It collects rubbish by barge at riverside wharves and burns it at a waste-to-energy incinerator in Belvedere, London.

Salt End Hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England

Salt End or Saltend is a hamlet in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, in an area known as Holderness. It is situated on the north bank of the Humber Estuary just outside the Hull eastern boundary on the A1033 road. It forms part of the civil parish of Preston.

Newlincs EfW facility

The Newlincs EfW facility is an incinerator which is located in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England. The plant is operated by Cyclerval UK & TIRU Group under a PFI contract. The engineering of the facility is unusual as it consists of an oscillating kiln handling 56,000 tonnes of waste per year/7 tonnes per hour of waste. The facility is capable of generating 3.2 MW electricity.

Edmonton EcoPark Waste-to-energy plant in London, United Kingdom

EcoPark is a waste-to-energy plant which burns waste from several London boroughs to provide electricity for the National Grid. It is located on the River Lee Navigation and bordered by the North Circular Road, in Edmonton in the London Borough of Enfield. It is also known as Edmonton EcoPark.

Wilton power stations Series of coal, oil, gas and biomass fired CHP power stations

The Wilton power station refers to a series of coal, oil, gas and biomass fired CHP power stations which provide electricity and heat for the Wilton International Complex, with excess electricity being sold to the National Grid. It is located on the Wilton site in Redcar and Cleveland, south of the town of Middlesbrough in North East England. The station has provided for the site since opening in 1952, when it was operated by ICI. The station is currently owned and operated by SembCorp Industries.

Portrack Incinerator Former waste and power plant in England

The Portrack Incinerator was a municipal waste incinerator and waste-to-energy power station situated on the River Tees at Portrack in Stockton-on-Tees in County Durham, England.

Tees Renewable Energy Plant is a proposed biomass fueled power station situated on the River Tees at Teesport in Redcar and Cleveland, North East England. The plant will operate alongside other renewable energy units and industrial processes operating in the Northeast of England Process Industry Cluster (NEPIC)

Waste in the United Kingdom

It is estimated that 290 million tonnes of waste was produced in the United Kingdom in 2008 but volumes are declining. In 2012 municipal solid waste generation was almost 30 million tonnes, according to Waste Atlas Platform.

Lakeside EfW

The Lakeside EfW is located in Colnbrook, Slough, and is the largest facility of its kind in England. It incinerates residual waste, and since 2010 it has also been authorised to incinerate low-level radioactive waste.

References

  1. ↑ "Portrack Meadows". teeswildlife. Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. Archived from the original on 20 November 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Teesside". sita. Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). Retrieved 18 December 2008.
  3. ↑ "Northumberland". Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "SITA UK marks first anniversary of extension at Tees Valley energy-from-waste centre". Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). 9 June 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  5. 1 2 "SITA Northumberland Energy-from-Waste plant at Teesside – a successful cooperation between local authority and industry" (PDF). Van Roll. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  6. 1 2 "SITA and Sembcorp plan £200m Teesside EfW". letsrecycle.com. 10 August 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  7. 1 2 "SITA UK set to officially open new £70 million extension at Tees Valley energy-from-waste site". Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). 5 October 2009. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "North East Energy Recovery Centre" (PDF). Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2009. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  9. ↑ "Waste-to-Energy Plants in the UK". Industcards. 30 October 2004. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Paula Sinton; Rita Greenwood (2009). "Tees Valley LTD Energy from Waste Facility: 2009 Annual Performance Report" (PDF). Suez Environnement. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  11. ↑ Henderson, Tony (26 December 2008). "Rubbish could soon power our homes". The Journal . Retrieved 7 August 2009.
  12. ↑ Roberts, Neil (20 December 2011). "Rail waste transfer plans approved". mrw.co.uk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  13. ↑ "Teesside's Green Economy". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 26 October 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  14. ↑ "Energy from Waste". iema. 17 April 2009. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  15. 1 2 "SITA UK consults on plans to construct a North East Energy Recovery Centre at Haverton Hill in the Tees Valley". Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). 17 April 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  16. 1 2 "SITA UK welcomes planning approval for the North East Energy Recovery Centre at Billingham in the Tees Valley". Société Industrielle des Transports Automobiles (SITA). 15 October 2008. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "At The Double!". nebusiness. 17 September 2010. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
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