Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners K/S (CIP) has announced that it through its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure IV (CI IV) has reached financial close on the 49.9 MW Energy-from-Waste project, Slough Multifuel together with joint venture partner SSE Thermal. The project is located within the Slough Trading Estate, west of London's Heathrow airport in the UK.
CIP acquired a 50 percent stake in Slough Multifuel from SSE Thermal in April 2020 and the parties have co-developed the project throughout the remaining development phase.
On December 3, 2020, Slough Multifuel issued a notice to proceed to energy-from-waste specialist Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (HZI) that was previously awarded the contract. Upon completion of the enabling works, construction will commence in early 2021 and take up to four years with the project expected to reach commercial operations in 2024.
Once complete, the plant will be operated by SSE Thermal. The total investment amount will be around GBP400 million (≈ EUR 436.5 million) and equally split between SSE Thermal and CI IV.
The Slough Multifuel project complements CIP’s long track record within UK thermal investments dating back to 2013. CIP’s thermal project delivery experience counts four operational biomass plants and one of Europe’s largest energy-from-waste (EfW) plants currently ongoing construction situated in Lostock, near Northwich in Cheshire.
CIP is very pleased to have reached this important project milestone in close collaboration and partnership with SSE Thermal. We are excited to take Slough Multifuel into the construction phase to deliver a state-of-the-art waste management facility providing a sustainable alternative to landfills converting thousands of tonnes of waste into energy. The past 9 months of project development have illustrated the strength of the joint venture between CIP and SSE Thermal. CIP looks forward to continuing this partnership creating value for society, the local community, and our investors, said Christina Grumstrup Sørensen, Senior Partner in CIP.
Brownfield site
The plant will be constructed at SSE’s site on the Slough Trading Estate, where parts of a former plant have been decommissioned and demolished. A remaining feature of the former plant is the cooling tower, which will be integrated into the new facility.
After going into full commercial operation, expected in 2024, the plant will process around 480 000 tonnes per year of mainly commercial waste from the Greater London Area, and generate around 49.9 MW of electricity that will be fed into the National Grid.
Additionally, up to 23 tonnes of processed steam per hour will be delivered to a nearby food factory.
By utilizing residual waste as a renewable energy source, Slough Multifuel will offset more than 147 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually, and power more than 100 000 homes. Furthermore, the project will be bringing hundreds of local jobs to the area during construction as well as around 50 permanent jobs in the operations phase.
We’re delighted to have reached this milestone in the Slough Multifuel project, alongside our partners in CIP, and we’re now looking forward to the construction phase beginning in the new year. When completed, Slough Multifuel will play a key role in the UK’s sustainable waste management, diverting thousands of tonnes of waste away from landfill, and instead, converting it into a valuable source of energy, said Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Thermal.
Third project for HZI with SSE Thermal
The Slough EfW installation marks the third plant built by HZI in conjunction with SSE Thermal, following the Ferrybridge Multifuel 1 and 2 plants in West Yorkshire, and HZI’s thirteenth project in the UK.
Being part of this infrastructure project marks another milestone for us since the UK is one of the most important markets for EfW projects in Europe. I am convinced that the realization of this latest installation will not only contribute to the diversion of waste from landfills in the UK but will also help enhance global awareness of the proven EfW technology and its contribution to sustainable waste management, said Fabio Dinale, VP Business Development at HZI.
