HZI hands over Slough Multifuel to SSE and CIP

In 2020, Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) was appointed by SSE plc and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) to design, build, and operate a new state-of-the-art waste-to-energy (WtE) facility in the heart of the busy Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire, England.

The new highly efficient two-line WtE facility has safely completed its commissioning phase, and on August 22, 2024, the Completion Certificate was granted, enabling the plant’s owners to authorize HZI’s engineers to begin full operation to treat around 480,000 tonnes of residual non-recyclable waste each year.

Challenging location

Owing to the construction site’s challenging location, with the nearest neighbor only one metre away from the boundary with the WtE facility, HZI carefully planned the construction phase to avoid disruption to adjacent businesses.

HZI also worked closely with the clients and multiple local partners, including numerous neighboring businesses throughout the build and commissioning phases.

With the footprint of the Slough site very constrained and the project’s main laydown area for parts and equipment one hour away from the main construction zone, HZI adopted a ‘just-in-time’ delivery system.

This ensured that the 45-month construction phase was completed ahead of schedule.

Completing the construction of the Slough Multifuel facility successfully and ahead of schedule brings HZI a great sense of pride. Our project team, engineers, and subcontractors have delivered another vital piece of UK waste-to-energy infrastructure. HZI has created local supply chains and new employment at each stage of the development, using high-precision construction techniques, intelligent engineering, and considerate construction practices throughout the build. My congratulations to all involved. HZI looks forward to operating this facility on behalf of SSE and CIP, reliably powering local communities and businesses for many years to come, said Daniel Dreier, EVP of Waste to X & Renewable Gas Plants at HZI.

A combined heat and power plant

The new two-line Slough Multifuel facility will generate around 55 MW of electrical power and up to 92 MW of thermal power per line, with electricity supplied directly to the National Grid.

In addition, the low-pressure steam produced will continue to be efficiently piped to a neighboring confectionery plant located on the Slough Trading Estate in Berkshire.

This important symbiotic relationship between the new Multifuel facility and a major employer in Slough augments an established circular economy in the town.

Importantly, it also increases the overall efficiency of the new WtE facility and, crucially, diverts non-recyclable residual waste away from landfills for use in energy recovery.

We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone together with our partners in SSE Thermal. Since 2020 we have worked efficiently side-by-side and we are proud to have delivered a plant that makes a significant contribution to the green transition in the UK and creates value for society, the local community, and our investors, said Florian Küster, partner at CIP.

This is HZI’s third project with its long-term client SSE, after building and commissioning the two sister WtE plants at Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire in 2015 and 2019 respectively.

Slough Multifuel will fulfill an important role in the UK’s electricity system and help divert thousands of tonnes of waste from landfills. The successful delivery of the project is a testament to the partnership between SSE and CIP, which spans multiple projects and continues to create genuine value. It also highlights our ability to deliver large capital projects, with this particular project being a highly complex one owing to the constrained nature of the site. Working with HZI, we have navigated that challenge and can take real pride in doing so safely, said Finlay McCutcheon, Managing Director of SSE Thermal.