Hitachi Zosen Innova (HZI) has been named by renewable energy developer Brockwell Energy as its preferred bidder for the construction of a 240,000 tonne energy from waste (EfW) facility in Fife, Scotland.
The construction of the Westfield Energy Recovery Facility, based on an old coal mine, will begin this summer and is due to be completed by 2024. Brockwell Energy confirmed that HZI will also provide operations and maintenance services under a long-term service agreement. Representatives from Brockwell Energy and HZI are currently working to finalise documents “in preparation for a financial close”. Brockwell Energy says the facility will be a “cost-efficient residual waste disposal option” for Fife council and other Scottish local authorities that have not yet secured this kind of disposal route for waste.
Planning permission for the plant was obtained in October 2017 and Brockwell Energy confirmed that the waste will be supplied to the facility by commercial waste management company Cireco. Cireco, previously known as Resource Efficient Solutions, currently provides commercial waste services for Fife council, NHS Fife and The University of St Andrews and collects waste from a number of commercial clients across Scotland.
Neil Young, technical and operations director at Brockwell Energy, called the procurement of HZI a “significant milestone” for the project. “The state of-the-art plant will assist in meeting the Scottish Government’s environmental and legislative targets in advance of the Landfill ban being implemented in 2025.” He also noted said that “the fact it’s being undertaken by such a highly experienced and successful construction and operations partner means we can be confident the project will be delivered – and add much needed capacity to the Scottish market.”
The Westfield facility will be a sister plant to the 216,000 tonne Earls Gate Energy Centre in Grangemouth, Falkirk which is expected to be operational later this year. Once the Westfield plant is completed, it will accompany Earls Gate and seven other EfW plants in Scotland fuelled by municipal waste.