The plant in Beckton is the first of what is being called a new generation of combined heat and intelligent power (or CHiP) plants developed by utility company 20C. It will provide up to 18MW of electricity using recycled fuels derived from fats, oils and greases that would otherwise be dumped as waste. It will also supply 1MW of renewable heat to power Thames Water’s Beckton wastewater treatment plant.
2OC has signed a 20-year deal worth over £200m with Thames Water to provide renewable power and heat for its Beckton site, the UK’s biggest sewage treatment works.
The Beckton CHiP plant will pioneer the use of fuels derived from fats, oils and greases. Other fuel sources include oil wastes and animal fats from food manufacturers and processors. There will be no virgin oils from field or plantation grown crops. Thames has committed to working with 2OC to supply more than half of the required fuel by scraping out the fat that causes sewer blockages costing £1m a month.
A further seven CHiP plants are planned, generating low-carbon energy through pressure reduction stations in partnerships with gas network operators.
2OC chief executive Andrew Mercer said: "I am delighted that Murphy are going to build our first plant. This is a high profile and innovative project with a strict timeline for completion. I am confident that Murphy will do a great job for us and I know they can't wait to get started."
Murphy is working with consulting engineer Jacobs Engineering. Site set-up will start next month, with completion expected by April 2015.
Paul Sephton, head of process at J Murphy, said: “This is a complex and challenging project with stringent timescales and multifaceted interfaces. The integrated team is phasing the design and construction programmes together to achieve a solution in a short timeframe and a delivery within schedule and cost.”
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