Latest News

image

April 2011 BioGenpower appoints National Commercial Manager
BioGenpower are pleased to announce the appointment...
Read More >>

April 2011 Another 1st for Energos at Isle of Wight
The UK's first full scale gasification plant to operate...
Read More >>

April 2011 BioGenpower announce its 'Stronger-Together' 3rd Party Development Opportunities
BioGenpower, the UK's leading gasification Energy...
Read More >>

April 2011 Landfill Tax tops £56 a tonne and it's no April Fool!
On April 1 2011 Landfill Tax rose to £56 per tonne in what is seen...
Read More >>

March 2011 Government to launch £860m Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
Almost half of the final energy consumed in the UK (49%) is...
Read More >>

February 2011 Energos Isle of Wight (IOW) facility back on song with double ROC's
Following minor commissioning issues at the Waste Gas...
Read More >>

View all News >>

News

April 2011
BioGenpower appoints National Commercial Manager

Ian LedsonBioGenpower are pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Ledson as their new National Commercial Manager. Ian joins from national waste company SITA where he has spent the past six years working in a number of regional and national development management roles, the last three years as Senior Corporate Development Manager. Ian started out in life working with Leyland DAF Trucks, joining environmental services company Safety Kleen Europe in 1990.

BioGenpower's CEO Christian Reeve commented, "We are very pleased to welcome Ian to the team here based at our headquarters near Blackpool. Ian has the depth of experience that we were looking for and has a proven track record securing and managing high volume waste procurement contracts. As BioGenpower moves from being the UK's leading 'developer' of ACT Energy Recovery Facilities to the UK's leading 'build own and operate' business, Ian will be instrumental in assisting us to secure the necessary waste contracts in order to make this happen." Christian went on to add "We spent a considerable amount of time trying to find the right person and in Ian we believe he has the skills, determination, reputation and 'fit' that will keep BioGenpower at the front end of the curve and assist us in delivering the great potential out there for landfill disposal alternatives."

Ian resides in the North West of England, is married with one child and is a keen sportsman, having been a past British Thai Kick Boxing Champion.

April 2011
Another 1st for Energos at Isle of Wight

The UK's first full scale gasification plant to operate on municipal waste has become the first waste fuelled gasification or pyrolysis plant to receive Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs).

The Isle of Wight gasification plant, which uses Energos technology, is an Advanced Conversion Technology (ACT) facility and under the 2003 Renewable Obligation Order (ROO) receives ROCs for each megawatt hour of renewable electricity generated from the renewable portion of the residual waste (typically more than 60% of the waste).

Full accreditation was granted by Ofgem after agreement had been reached regarding the fuel measurement system including the measurement of the biomass content of the fuel and the syn-gas gross calorific value (GCV).

ROCs have been received by Energos for an initial period from October to December 2010, and will continue to be issued by Ofgem in accordance with the regulations. The auction price for ROCs approached £50 in March 2011. ROCs are not available to incineration schemes, unless they generate both heat and electricity and meet CHPQA requirements, but are available to gasification and pyrolysis schemes as Advanced Conversion Technologies.

The plant is part of the Isle of Wight Council's Resource Recovery Facility operated by Biffa subsidiary Island Waste Services. It utilises a refuse derived fuel, supplied under contract from the Isle of Wight Council's integrated waste management contractor. As the fuel has been pre-treated, the biodegradable energy content has to be measured rather than being 'deemed'.

The plant was the first to employ a continuous calorimeter to measure the GCV of the syn-gas produced by the process. This was also a first for the supplier of the metering facilities as the syn-gas is produced at a high temperature and has to be measured in its raw condition. The plant is producing a syn-gas with a GCV in excess of the 4 MJ/m3 required for double ROCs.

Nick Dawber, Managing Director of Energos said: "Now we have reached agreement with Ofgem and are receiving ROCs, we can press ahead with developing several small scale projects in the UK. Planning consent has been granted for seven more energy recovery facilities using Energos technology. These are community sized plants that can supply both heat and/or electricity from non-recyclable and non-hazardous municipal solid waste and commercial waste streams."

As well as providing a long-term, secure, energy supply, Energos gasification technology will qualify for the forthcoming Renewable Heat Incentive. In addition, as renewable energy it is exempt from obligations under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Under phase 2 of the scheme, companies should be allowed to trade the resultant CO2 credits. Energos' eighth energy recovery facility has recently been completed in Sarpsborg, Norway. It is supplying medium pressure steam to an industrial complex and is fuelled by non recyclable commercial/industrial waste. It brings operating experience for the Energos technology to more than 450,000 hours over 14 years.

Christian Reeve, Biogenpower's CEO commented,. "This is welcoming news indeed. Energos technology now has all the required accreditations in order to pave the way for a sustainable roll out of this world leading waste disposal technology across the UK. Followers of our company and the Energos technology that we utilise will be aware that we have five consented sites here in the UK with a further three within the planning process. Full ROC accreditation and the capability to earn two ROC's will add to investor confidence, an essential requirement in the current world economic climate."

April 2011
BioGenpower announce its 'Stronger-Together' 3rd Party Development Opportunities

BioGenpower, the UK's leading gasification Energy Recovery Facilities developer, has today launched a new and exciting business development initiative called 'Stronger-Together'. Using BioGenpower's proven track record and in-house planning and development expertise, companies and investors can partner with the UK's leader to develop some of Britain's future waste disposal and renewable energy facilities.

BioGenpower's CEO, Christian Reeve commented, "This is a tremendous opportunity for financial institutions, utility and waste companies (national and regional) and the larger construction companies to partner with us and share in each other's synergies. We have site location, planning and technology expertise, while others have waste management, construction or purely financial skills. Together we can move forward and develop robust, green and clean waste and energy solutions."

BioGenpower have used this approach in the past and are currently developing Energy Recovery Facilities both in Northern Ireland and the West Midlands in similar joint venture partnerships. Christian went on to say: "We know that there are a large number of interested parties out there who would like to invest in high technology waste disposal infrastructure and renewable energy solutions, but do not have the know-how, development skills or the time. Linking with BioGenpower brings quick and cost effective investment opportunities".

Partnering with BioGenpower can take several forms and a solution can be bespoke to fit an investors requirements. Christian added, "We appreciate that many joint venture partners have very different objectives, however, we are sure that we have a solution to fit. Some of our partners want to invest solely in the site and the development opportunity while others want full participation in the build out of the facility and its ongoing operation. We believe that we can accommodate all requirements going forward."

BioGenpower have five facilities with full planning consent located across the UK with a further three awaiting planning decisions. They have a number of other sites within their development portfolio which would no doubt interest third parties wanting to take a stake in an interesting and profitable sector. BioGenpower are also able to offer partners 'technology exclusivity' through their supply agreement with world leading Energos ERF technology. Energos have eight fully operational facilities across Europe and provide proven gasification solutions for residual waste treatment.

Interested parties should contact Christian Reeve or a member of the development team for further details.

April 2011
Landfill Tax tops £56 a tonne and it's no April Fool!

On April 1 2011 Landfill Tax rose to £56 per tonne in what is seen by waste industry experts as a "pivotal" point in terms of encouraging the uptake of alternatives to landfill disposal. The £8 rise from the 2010/11 rate of £48 per tonne is part of the Landfill Tax escalator process. The escalator sees the tax for landfill disposal rise by £8 per tonnes each year up to 2014, with Chancellor George Osborne having put a floor under the 2014 rate of £80 per tonnes up to the year 2020. The increase in Landfill Tax to £56 per tonne is seen as a key move in driving waste management companies and councils to assess other options.

The Landfill Tax and escalator is intended to drive councils and companies towards the development of recycling infrastructure by making the landfill disposal route a more expensive and unattractive option. This is, in turn, intended to help the UK meet its goals under the Landfill Directive. The increase to £56 per tonne is charged on top of landfill tax gate fees.

Christian Reeve, CEO at BioGenpower, the UK's leading gasification Energy Recovery Facility developer commented, "The increased landfill tax fee of £56 a tonne represents the tipping point (if you can pardon the pun) in terms of technologies such as ours replacing landfill as an economic option for sustainable waste disposal. We have long held the moral ground over landfill, but now we hold the economic ground too!" Christian also suggested that if one adds the average tipping fee at a landfill, the transport costs and the time factor of longer journeys out to dwindling landfill locations, technologies such as our Energos ERF's are very competitive indeed, and in some cases offer a lower cost disposal solution. He added, That this came at a "difficult time" for companies, who are already burdened by increases in fuel costs. This is even despite the proposed increase in fuel duty, which was supposed to come into effect in the March Budget, being scrapped by Chancellor George Osborne.

March 2011
Government to launch £860m Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)

Almost half of the final energy consumed in the UK (49%) is in the form of heat, the generation of which accounts for around 47% of UK CO2 emissions. At present the amount of renewable heat in the UK is low at (0.6%) of heat demand.

After months of delays, the government has finally launched its Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), promising guaranteed payments for 20 years to those businesses and households producing heat from renewable sources. The coalition said the scheme, which is the first of its type anywhere in the world, will provide £860m of incentives over four years and is expected to increase investment in the renewable heat technologies by £4.5bn over the next 10 years.

It also predicted the RHI would cut emissions by 44 million tonnes of carbon by 2020, equivalent to 20 typical new gas power stations, by accelerating adoption of green heat technologies such as biomass boilers, air and ground sources heat pumps and solar thermal heating systems. Currently around half of the UK's carbon emissions are produced through heating, 95 per cent of which is generated by burning fossil fuels. DECC also predicted the scheme will create 150,000 existing manufacturing, supply chain and installer jobs to be supported in the heating industry.

"Renewable heat is a largely untapped resource and an important new green industry of the future," said energy and climate change secretary Chris Huhne in a statement to Parliament. "This incentive is the first of its kind in the world. It'll help the UK shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs and growth in new advanced technologies."

The incentive will tie in with the Green Deal, the government's flagship energy efficiency scheme, and as such will be introduced from October 2012. Eligible technologies installed since 15th July 2009 will receive payments made for each kWh of renewable heat produced for 20 years, with levels ranging from 1.9 pence per kWh for small biomass, to 8.5p/kWh for solar thermal.

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower's CEO stated, "This is very positive news and acts to strengthen the governments support for green, clean and efficient sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. We have long seen the heat element of energy as the big win and this announcement is long overdue." He went on to say that, "While renewable electricity generation has thus far been the focus for renewable energy, we can now look closely at renewable heat production, which in reality, is more efficient. We have been using heat to generate renewable electricity. Now we have a choice."

February 2011
Energos Isle of Wight (IOW) facility back on song with double ROC's

Following minor commissioning issues at the Waste Gas Technology facility on the Isle of Wight last summer, Energos are pleased to confirm that the facility is now fully operational and has passed ten independent emissions tests since October 2010. The facility here treats waste arisings from the 61,000 residents of the Island.

A spokeswoman for Energos commented: "Since the re-start date, ten successive independent emissions tests, undertaken as part of an agreed plan with the Environment Agency, have demonstrated that operations are fully compliant with the EU Emissions Standard."

Energos, which is part of Manchester-based renewable energy company ENER-G plc said that the Isle of Wight facility was "not typical" of the eight facilities the firm operates throughout Europe. This is because it was adapted from a pre-existing energy recovery facility on the Forest Road site in Newport, IOW. Following the minor breach of dioxin emission levels, the company identified that the fault arose from within the reused infrastructure, specifically from the flue gas filtration system.

A spokeswoman for the Environment Agency confirmed that the plant was once again accepting waste and said it would continue to work with Energos and Waste Gas Technology. The plant was originally part of Defra's New Technologies Demonstrator Program and provided 35% of its start-up costs through the initiatives, with £2.7 million of government money going towards the development.

More positive news was released by Energos, confirming that the IOW facility was now fully accredited by Ofgem and was claiming ROC's in respect of the biomass element of waste treated at the site. Energos also confirmed that as the syn-gas produced was above the required 4MJ/m3, in terms of the gas CV, double ROCs had been awarded.

December 2010
BioGenpower Reach the Final.

BioGenpower, along with its consortium partner Greenstar/Biffa, has reached the last two of Northern Irelands SWaMP joint council waste procurement contract. It will now present its final waste management solution in an attempt to win the £800m 25 year contract. The other remaining bidder, the Quinn Group, will also submit its final solution early in the new year and it is expected that a 'preferred bidder' will be appointed in 2011.

SWaMP2008 is a partnership of eight district councils located within the Southern Region of Northern Ireland including Armagh city & borough council; Banbridge district council; Cookstown district council; Craigavon borough council; Dungannon & South Tyrone borough council; Fermanagh district council; Newry & Mourne district council; and, Omagh district council.

SWaMP2008 is one of three regional waste management contracts currently part of a tendering process, along with North West and ARC21 regions (Greater Belfast),which when completed will provide Northern Ireland with secure long term sustainable and economical waste management solutions for its municipal waste (MSW).

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower's CEO commented, "This is great news for both our company and our bidding partners Greenstar/Biffa. We have all worked extremely hard to get this far and we hope to win the bid next year." While we are not allowed to comment on the finer details of our chosen solution, we can say that it offers the region a leading edge, sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost effective solution.

In an extract from letsrecycle.com on 29th November 2010, Graham Byrne, chief officer of SWaMP2008, said that good progress was being made.

He said: "We have completed the initial evaluation of the detailed submissions from these two bidders. Each company has submitted proposals on how they would approach the project, should they be successful. Having evaluated these submissions, we will provide feedback and continue with the process. Due to the highly confidential and competitive nature of the dialogue process we are not in a position to reveal any details of either bid at this stage."

"We are looking for the right solution for the region, using technology to meet the waste management needs of the area, while also continuing to support increased recycling and a more sustainable approach to resources.

"Obviously we are also looking for a cost-effective solution for the eight councils in the SWaMP2008 region. We must ensure that whatever technical solution is proposed will also offer long term value for money for local ratepayers."

April 2010
ENERGOS latest ERF enters commissioning ahead of schedule.

pic1Steam is now being generated from waste at the new Sarpsborg ERF as it undergoes rigorous testing as part of the early commissioning process. It is expected to be handed over in May 2010, two months ahead of schedule.

The facility is owned by Norway's leading power supplier, Hafslund Heat and Power AS, who appointed ENERGOS in February 2008 to deliver the M&E package of their £45 million ERF.

The 32MW ENERGOS plant will process 78,000 tonnes per year of residual commercial and industrial waste – generating up to 250 GWh/a of steam to displace approximately 24,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil that is currently used to power the chemical works. The ENERGOS process will recover in excess of 80% of the energy contained in the non-recyclable waste.

pic1The new plant complements the existing 27MW Ostfold Energi-owned ENERGOS facility that has been generating 185 GWh/a of steam for Borregaard since 2002 – bringing ENERGOS' total processing capacity in Sarpsborg to 156,000 tonnes. The new plant will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by a total of approx 40,000 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to the environmental benefit of four million trees.

ENERGOS, part of UK owned sustainable power group ENER-G plc began operating its first advanced thermal conversion facility in Norway at Ranheim in 1997. The company has since accumulated over 450,000 hours of operating experience at its plants, including its newest ERF in the UK, which opened on the Isle of Wight in 2009. . A further seven ENERGOS plants (Newport, Irvine, Lincolnshire, Barry, Doncaster, Bradford and Knowsley) have received UK planning permission and are targeted to open in 2013.

Mr Pål Mikkelsen, CEO of Hafslund Miljøenergi and Regional Manager of Hafslund Heat and Power AS commented: "We are very pleased with ENERGOS' performance and delivery so far in the project. All deadlines have been met during the build and the plant was ready to deliver clean renewable energy to Borregaard as scheduled. The ENERGOS technology was chosen due to the proven performance and environmental impact."

Nick Dawber, Managing Director of ENERGOS, added: "We've been able to use our previous experience at our seven existing plants to build the Sarpsborg facility in record time, which is the largest Energos plant to date. The fact that Borregaard Industries, the world's most advanced biorefinery and leading supplier of wood-based chemicals, now has two Energos plants is a very robust testimony to the quality and efficiency of our technology and service".

The ENERGOS technology was developed in Norway during the early 1990s in conjunction with the University of Trondheim. In Europe, ENERGOS offers the only proven and commercially viable gasification technology capable of generating renewable energy from municipal waste and post-recycling residue. It offers a clean energy recovery from waste solution that provides a best practice alternative to mass-burn incineration and a commercially proven and bankable alternative to landfill.

ENERGOS uses its own patented gasification technology, an advanced two-stage thermal treatment process that converts residual, non-recyclable waste into a gas by using the heat of partial combustion to liberate the hydrogen and carbon within the waste. Residual waste is fed into the gasification chamber, where it is manufactured into a syngas. This syngas is then transferred to a secondary oxidation chamber where it is fully combusted in a controlled environment that enables much tighter control than can be achieved in conventional energy from waste plants – resulting in extremely low emissions. The resulting heat energy is used to produce steam, which can be used to supply renewable heat and/or electricity.

A typical ENERGOS plant generates 8MW of green electricity and would equate to the output of 15 large wind turbines. It is designed to complement recycling initiatives and is a small scale model that can exist at the heart of the community. As such, facilities can be sited next to energy consumers to optimise heat recovery, or in locations where a heat delivery or district heating system could be developed. This approach complements the aims of the new EU Waste Framework Directive that sets a target of 50% recycling of waste by 2020 and recognises high efficiency energy recovery as recycling.

Christian Reeve, CEO of BioGenpower, one of the UK's leading and fastest growing Advanced Thermal Treatment (ATT) companies who also utilise Energos technology when developing residual waste solutions added, "This is great news for both Energos and BioGenpower. The waste sector has been waiting for Energos to build another of his world beating ERF,s and the timing of this news is extremely pleasing. Not only have they built the ERF to budget and ahead of schedule, it's the second such Energos facility that will supplying heat to Borregaard on the same site. There can be no better endorsement than that."

March 2010
Bradford approves the world's largest waste gasification facility.

On Wednesday the 31st March 2010, BioGenpower, the UK's fastest growing EfW company obtained full planning consent from Bradford City Council to build a 160,000 tonne per year Energos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Bradford, West Yorkshire. This facility is the fifth planning consent for BioGenpower following similar success at Irvine, Newport, Barry and Doncaster. Although this facility, when constructed, will be the world's largest gasification based Energy Recovery Facility to be fuelled by residual waste, it is still small scale in relative terms when compared with the unfashionable 'mass burn' incinerators that seem to be proving very unpopular within sustainable and integrated waste disposal solutions. This facility will make a significant contribution to the regions overall landfill diversion targets going forward and will provide a proven and cost effective alternative for either MSW or CIW .

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower's CEO commented, "The decision here at Bradford was another significant one for the company. The quality of the application together with the proven nature of our chosen Energos technology, enabled us to win over the hearts and minds of the planning committee who recognised that as a council they needed to be proactive and at the leading edge of future waste management planning. Our approved application here will ensure that Bradford benefits from a well proven, economical, green and clean alternative to the outdated and un-environmentally acceptable practice of landfill"

It is hoped that construction work will commence in late 2011 and will be completed late in 2013. BioGenpower's plans will include further negotiation with local business to further investigate options to promote the technology's CHP ability, delivering even bigger savings in carbon reduction. With a c£100m capital requirement, the project will provide up to 200 construction jobs during the two year plus build period. Once completed, the facility will employ some 45 local people, with a similar number of indirect jobs as a consequence.

Christian added, "We have once again chosen Energos world leading gasification technology to provide a green waste management solution for Bradford. It is extremely clean, boasts very low emission & noise levels, has high operational uptime and is small scale, offering a local solution to local waste issues. In addition, the 83,300 MWe per year of exportable renewable electricity will benefit some 23,000 local homes, replacing valuable fossil fuels and reducing the associated carbon footprint."

BioGenpower, whose shareholders include ENER-G plc and FTSE100 company International Power plc, plans to develop and build at least 12 Energos EfW facilities across the UK. With five sites already consented, a further three awaiting planning decisions and three additional sites secured, the company is well on its way to achieving this ambitious target. The completed portfolio, which may not necessarily stop at 12 such facilities, will result in the company treating over c1.5m tonnes of residual waste and generating c100MWe of low carbon renewable electricity. The current waste treatment volumes in respect of consented facilities has now passed 500,000 tonnes per year.

December 2009
BioGenpower shortlisted with bid partner Greenstar in bid to win SWaMP waste contract.

BioGenpower, one of the UK’s fastest growing Energy from Waste (EfW) companies has linked up with Greenstar, the UK’s largest recycling led waste management service provider, in order to bid for Northern Ireland’s Southern Waste Management Partnership (SWaMP) Residual Waste Infrastructure Project. The project involves waste treatment and recycling the municipal solid waste arisings, (often referred to as MSW) for eight councils in Northern Ireland, including the five districts of Banbridge, Cookstown, Fermanagh, Newry & Mourne, and Omagh, together with the Borough’s of Craigavon and Dungannon & South Tyrone. The project also covers the MSW in Armagh City & District Council. Following on from the initial submission completed in August 2009 it has been announced that the Greenstar BioGenpower consortium has reached the SWaMP project shortlist. The three other shortlisted companies include consortia headed by Biffa, Cyril Sweett, and the Quinn Group.

SWaMP’s earlier options review identified both gasification and MBT as a reference project and thus making BioGenpower’s partnership with world leading gasification technology provider ‘Energos’ an attractive and deliverable proposition. SWaMP is looking to reduce the volume of residual MSW going to landfill from c.195.000 tonnes in 2008 to a projected c.60,000 tonnes in 2020.

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower’s CEO stated, “Teaming up with Greenstar makes perfect sense. They are the leading recycling led waste management business in the UK and Ireland and have very green credentials. Linking their expertise and reputation with our own and that of Energos makes for a very powerful bid indeed. Energos technology is well proven, having been utilised to gasify residual MSW in mainland Europe for the past 12 years, boasting over 450,000 successful operational hours”.

Greenstar are leading the bid which will also include MBT/MHT and wider waste management services such as waste separation and the transfer of waste across the region. It is anticipated that shortlisted bidders will be advised in June 2010 whether the y will be requested to submit a final tender. The announcement of a preferred bidder is expected in December 2010.

Christian went on to comment, “Energos technology is well suited and fits the scale of the SWaMP residual waste volumes. Our technology is making very positive strides within the general municipal waste contract arena, with Energos technology having already been chosen by Derbyshire County Council. Our planning track record will also be a positive too, having achieved four planning consents from four applications in the UK”.

Greenstar was originally formed in 2001 and is now part of the NTR Group, itself an international renewable energy organisation which builds and runs green energy and resource sustaining businesses. NTR’s headquarters are in Dublin and its business interests cover Ireland, the UK and North America.

November 2009
International Power plc makes investment in BioGenpower

International Power plc (IPR), a UK based international wholesale generator who own and operate a number of power stations across the globe, have invested in BioGenpower, the UK’s leading ATT renewable energy business. The deal, which sees IPR taking a 5% stake in BioGenpower, also commits IPR to evaluate further investments in a number of Energos Energy Recovery Facilities (ERFs) being developed by BioGenpower across the UK.

Christian Reeve, CEO at BioGenpower commented, “This investment represents a significant milestone for BioGenpower. The deal will see the business move from its current ‘development’ stage to the ‘build own and operate’ stage, assisting us in reaching a key strategic goal. To do this we required a partner that had expertise negotiating multi million pound EPC contracts, someone who had experience in both building and operating power plant. We also sought to find a partner who could add some financial muscle and International Power are a great fit!” Christian went on to state, “We already have four projects with planning consent and with four others in the planning process, we need focused and committed investors if we are to deliver on our ambitious expansion plans. Our strategic business plan will require capex exceeding £1 billion over the next five to six years. This will allow us to build at least 12 Energos ERF’s in the UK, a portfolio that will see us handling some 1.5m tonnes of non-hazardous waste per year and generating over 100MWe of low carbon renewable electricity.”

International Power plc is a growing and independent power generation company with interests in some 45 power stations and closely linked businesses in over 22 countries around the world. Generating over 32,000MW of electricity the business employs some 3000 people worldwide with revenues reaching £4.891 billion in the financial year ending in December 2008.


Sarpsborg’s second Energos Plant is on time!

During 2008, Energos were awarded a contract with Hafslund Heat and Infrastructure AS (part of the Norwegian energy company Hafslund ASA), to supply a double line Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Borregaard Industries Limited, Sarpsborg Chemical plant in Norway. This new facility was set to complement the existing Ostfold Energi owned Energos plant which has been supplying steam to Borregaard Industries since 2003.

The Energos ERF is designed to process 80,000 tonne per year of commercial, though non hazardous waste, delivering some 32MWth of steam to Borregaard Industries at Sarpsborg, directly displacing heavy fuel oil that is currently used for the production of process steam.

The owner of the plant is Norwegian energy company, Hafslund, who hold the contract to supply Borregaard Industries. This will bring the total Energos processing capacity at this Borregaard Industries site to 160,000 tonnes per year. The contract was awarded to Energos in March 2008 and construction commenced later that year. Hot commissioning is on schedule to commence in early 2010 with hand over trials commencing in May 2010.

This is the sixth Energos ERF to be built in Norway, confirming the ‘proven’ ability of the technology to dispose of household and commercial waste in both a cost effective and responsible manner. With existing operational Energos ERF’s both in Germany and on the Isle of Wight and a further six Energos ERF’s with planning consent in the UK, it’s going to be a busy time ahead.

Christian Reeve, CEO at BioGenpower, the UK’s leading ATT renewable energy company which has already achieved planning consent for four Energos ERF’s commented, “It's good that progress has been made with the build out at Sarpsborg and that the facility is on time. It is even more significant that a company such as Borregaard Industries has confidence in Energos, having already benefited from steam supplied by the Energos facility commissioned in 2003. What better endorsement could one ask for!”

BioGenpower are now the UK’s largest ERF business utilising Advanced Thermal Technology to dispose of non hazardous waste. They plan to develop and build at least 12 Energos ERF’s in the UK. With four already consented and four more in the planning system awaiting decisions, they are on target to achieve these ambitious plans.

barry


It’s Four out of Four for BioGenpower!

BioGenpower, the UK’s fastest growing EfW company was today (Thursday 17th September 2009) granted full planning consent by the Vale of Glamorgan County Council to build an 80,000 tonne per year Energos Energy Recovery Facility at the Port of Barry, some 10 miles west of the Welsh capital, Cardiff. This is the fourth planning consent achieved by BioGenpower following similar success at Irvine, Newport and Doncaster. Developed as a sister facility to Newport, the combined operations off both facilities will be capable of disposing of over 200,000 tonne of South East Wales residual waste.

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower’s CEO commented, “The decision here at Barry was a significant one for the company as our proposals were not welcomed by all in the area, though the business community viewed the proposals in a far more positive manner. The quality of the application together with the proven nature of our chosen Energos technology, enabled us to win over the hearts and minds of the planning committee and the local business community alike. The Vale of Glamorgan has today made a tough decision though one that will see the county of the Vale of Glamorgan and the town of Barry at the forefront of responsible and sustainable waste management within Wales.”

It is hoped that construction work will commence in early 2011 and will be completed early in 2013. BioGenpower’s plans will include further negotiation with local businesses on and near the dock area together with the developers of the proposed Barry Waterfront Residential Scheme with a view to supplying electricity, steam and hot water, providing potential ‘quality CHP’ benefits for all parties. The building of the facility will create some two hundred construction jobs over the two year build period and create up to 30 full time jobs once the facility is fully operational.

Christian added, “We have once again chosen Energos world leading gasification technology to provide a green waste management solution for the Vale of Glamorgan. It is extremely clean, boasts very low emission & noise levels, has high operational uptime and is small scale, offering a local solution to local waste issues. In addition, the 6MWe of exportable renewable electricity will benefit some 15,000 local homes, replacing valuable fossil fuels and reducing the associated carbon footprint.”

BioGenpower plans to develop and build at least 12 Energos Energy Recovery facilities across the UK. With four sites already consented, a further four awaiting planning decisions and three additional sites secured, the company is well on its way to achieving this ambitious target. The completed portfolio, which may not necessarily stop at 12 such facilities, will result in the company treating over c1.5m tonnes of residual waste and generating c100MWe of low carbon renewable electricity. The current waste treatment volumes in respect of consented facilities has now passed 400,000 tonnes per year.

barry

July 2009
Doncaster makes it 3 out of 3 for BioGenpower!
BioGenpower received their third planning consent on the 21st July 2009. Doncaster Metropolitan Council granted consent to BioGenpower to build a 120,000 tonne Energos Energy Recovery (ERF) facility at Kirk Sandal, East Doncaster. The facility will cost c£75m and will create hundreds of construction jobs over its two year build program.

"This is three out of three!" stated Christian Reeve, BioGenpower’s CEO, following two previous successful consents at Irvine, North Ayrshire and Newport, Gwent. "We are pleased that Doncaster will benefit from a green, clean and sustainable waste disposal solution. The proposed ERF will assist in diverting some three million tonnes of residual waste away from landfill over the planned life of the facility, generating over two million MWe of low carbon, renewable electricity, saving valuable fossil fuels in the process".

BioGenpower plans to build and operate at least 12 ERF’s across the UK, ambitious plans that will result in them the company generating over 100MWe per year of renewable electricity and treating over 1 million tonnes of residual waste per year. The program will require close to £1 billion of investment, making BioGenpower one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing high tech waste treatment businesses.

Christian went on to say, "These are exciting times for the UK, the waste and energy sector and all the team at BioGenpower. We will shortly release further news regarding a number of joint ventures to develop additional EFR’s using the world leading Energos technology. We also hope to announce details regarding ‘strategic investment’ too. We recognise that in order to achieve our objectives we are going to need to partner with some very large companies with build and operation expertise."

He also added, "that although planning consent was granted, there were a number of concerns expressed by local residents and we are committed to working with the local people in order to develop a better understanding of ERF's and to build on local good relationship within the neighbourhood of Kirk Sandall."

Energos technology is proven, with over 400,000 operational hours. In addition to BioGenpower recent success, Energos recently obtained planning consent to build an 80,000 tonne per year EFR in Knowsley, Merseyside, following the successful commissioning of their newly built ERF on the Isle of Wight. There is also an Energos ERF planned for North Lincolnshire where planning was granted earlier this year.

July 2009
Waste Disposal at £72 a tonne...and that’s just the tax!!!
Following on from the recent budget increases in landfill tax it is clear that the government intends to use the tax to increase the pressure on business, councils and households to divert waste away from landfill. The budget confirmed above inflation increases for the next 4 years taking landfill tax from £40/tonne this year to £72/tonne by 2013. This means the total cost of taking a tonne of waste to landfill will be routinely in excess of £100. In addition the treasury moved to increase the number of waste types that would be covered by the levy and would reclassify certain waste types that currently qualify for the lower rate of £2.50/tonne so they will be charged the full rate. This modernisation review will ensure the tax is well placed to make an important contribution to achieving environmental polices.

These changes represent significant changes to the cost of waste disposal given that the tax is in addition to the actual disposal charges and transportation costs. These costs are also increasing as landfill capacity becomes a scare resource and the distance to available sites grows. The additional problem with landfill capacity is that it is unevenly distributed around the UK. In the south there is only capacity for 3-5 years whilst other regions average 5-13 years. Coupled with imminent EU fines for failure to meet landfill reduction targets of up to £150/tonne the economic case for recycling and waste to energy becomes even more compelling. Setting out the escalator plan for the next 4 years gives councils and business the time to make the key investment and operational decisions that are needed to reduce their reliance on landfill, reduce costs and improve recycling rates.

The UK has made significant improvements in recycling and treatment rates in recent years however 69m tomes is still land filled each year of which 16m comes from households. We still produce 29m tonnes of household waste and 6 times as much commercial, industrial and demolition waste.

A range of technologies are needed to handle waste in the UK, there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution and whilst recycling, anaerobic digestion and composting play a significant part they don’t alone solve the problem of landfill. Indeed it was recently reported that over 200,000 tonnes of recycled waste a year in England is rejected and sent to landfill. Not all waste can be recycled cost effectively and the best solution is to recover the energy and reduce the waste to a small residual amount. BioGenpower is well placed to handle residual municipal and commercial waste otherwise destines for landfill. Just one typical plant taking just 5 acres could recover the energy from that rejected waste and fuel 20,000 homes with green electricity. Gasification represents a proven, clean, efficient and cost effective alternative to avoiding the certainty of increasing landfill costs.

July 2009
Energos wins planning consent for Merseyside energy recovery facility
Energos has gained planning approval for a clean technology energy recovery from waste facility at Knowsley, Merseyside. The £40million plus development will be a UK and international training centre and an environmental technology showcase for the UK company’s advanced gasification process – attracting visitors from all over the world.

It will take two years to build and construction is expected to start in 2010 with completion scheduled for 2012. Energos will create up to 65 local construction jobs and 18 skilled ‘green collar’ jobs and aims to set up a technician training programme with local colleges.

The facility will convert leftover, non-recyclable waste into green electricity for up to 10,000 homes, as well as creating heat for local industry – leading to lower energy bills and carbon emissions for business and increasing job security. It will create a similar renewable power output to 15 large wind turbines.

On the Isle of Wight, Energos has recently opened the UK’s first fully developed gasification plant to operate on a municipal waste stream. This is the first time that advanced thermal conversion technology has been applied in this way. It is part of the Department of Environment, food and Rural Affair’s New Technology Demonstrator Programme and received a 2008 Renewable Energy Award for Innovation

Said Nick Dawber, Managing Director of Energos: "We look forward to making a positive contribution to the Knowsley community and can now begin detailed discussions with neighbouring businesses to supply affordable, secure heat energy from a renewable source. This will enable them to keep costs controlled, reduce their carbon footprint and maintain their competitive edge and job security."

Dawber added: "This is a community sized solution for local waste that would otherwise fill up landfill sites and emit damaging greenhouse gases. We offer a proven and world class gasification technology with a 12 year track record of safe operation in Norway. This can help the UK build a much needed sustainable waste infrastructure. The Energos process is proven to achieve ultra low emissions that are significantly lower than the stringent safe limits required by the EU Emissions Standard.

Over the last three years, six planning applications, based on the Energos technology, have been submitted, including three by North West based BioGenpower and all six have received consent within 12 months of the application date. We believe this demonstrates that communities accept facilities that are appropriately sized.

"In Knowsley we have organised open days and set up a community liaison group to allay concerns and involve residents in our plans and we are totally committed to working openly with the community to bring new jobs, new skills and valuable investment to the area."

April 2009
BioGenpower gets the green light from Newport City Council
Lancashire-based renewable energy company BioGenpower has been awarded planning permission to build a £75 million Energy Recovery Facility in Newport, South Wales.

Plans for the 120,000 tonne-a-year capacity facility, which is set to be developed using technology provided by North-West based gasification specialists Energos, at Newport Docks, were given the go-ahead by planning officials on the 1st April 2009.

Following the decision, BioGenpower's chief executive, Christian Reeve, said: "This is a highly suitable industrial location with good electricity connection, direct links to the highway, high potential for heat recovery and close proximity to waste customers. As such, there were no objections from statutory consultees or the general public." Christian also revealed that the company was now moving towards finalising arrangements for both the waste to be processed in the facility and the electricity and heat it is expected to produce.

He explained that "the facility will initially be constructed as a merchant plant", but that BioGenpower would be looking to hold discussions with both local councils and businesses during the plant's construction to secure waste inputs.

Once built, the plant is expected to generate 12 megawatts of renewable electricity, which will be exported to the local grid, and Christian revealed that "we're in negotiations with industrial neighbours about the heat". Work on the plant is now set to begin in 2010, with the aim of having the facility up–and-running by 2012. In addition to proving hundreds of jobs during the 20 month construction period, the facility will create some 30 full time staff with a similar number of indirect jobs.

The Newport Energy Recovery Facility is the second of at least 12 ERF’s that BioGenpower plans to build and operate as part of its collaboration with Energos. It has already received planning permission for an 80,000 tonne–a–year capacity Energy Recovery Facility at Irvine in Ayrshire, with Christian explaining that "we're hoping to have started work on our Newport facility by early 2010". He also added that BioGenpower had already secured eight of the 12 locations required, which are situated across the UK and Northern Ireland.

In order to meet BioGenpower’s ambitious target of building and operating 12 ERF’s over the next five years, some £700 million of capital investment will be required, and, when operational, the facilities would be capable of treating c1.5 million tonnes of residual waste a year and generate around 100 megawatts of renewable electricity."We spent many years conducting a global search before selecting Energos technology," Christian explained. "Critically, this means we can offer a commercially proven, financially viable process that sets new standards of emissions performance and is a best practice alternative to incineration and landfill," he added.

The Newport plant would represent Energos' fifth gasification project in the UK following Irvine, Isle of Wight, Derbyshire and West Sussex. Last year, the Isle of Wight was the first gasification facility to receive preliminary accreditation under the government's system of green energy subsidies, the Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs), further supporting the confidence in Energos’ ability to qualify as advanced conversion technology and the increased subsidy under changes to the ROCs system that came into force at the beginning of April 2009.

April 2009
Landfill Tax hits £40 per tonne, with further increases to come!
The cost of Landfill Tax increased on April 1st as part of a three year commitment by the government.

In his Pre-Budget report in November 2008, Chancellor Alistair Darling confirmed that the levy would rise by £8 a tonne a year for the three years from 2008/09 to 2010/11, in a bid to "encourage sustainable ways of managing waste". He also indicated that the tax would continue to rise after 2010/11.

However, while the move has been broadly welcomed by the waste sector, many councils and waste firms are now calling for more certainty over the level of Landfill Tax after 2010/11 – in a bid to give them more confidence in planning ahead.

And, the tax rise has prompted renewed calls from cash-strapped councils for the government to ring-fence some of the levy to support recycling initiatives.

While the Landfill Tax for active waste increases as of 1st April 2009 from £32 to £40 a tonne, the rate for inactive waste remains frozen at £2.50 a tonne. According to HM Revenue and Customs, the Landfill Tax "encourages waste producers to produce less waste, recover more value from waste, for example through recycling or composting and to use more environmentally friendly methods of waste disposal."

Chris Murphy, deputy chief executive of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management said: "When the government said it would be an £8 a year rise for three years we applauded the idea as we have always said in the past that Landfill Tax was too low. We are getting to the stage now where other waste treatment technologies are more valuable compared to landfill." Steve Burdis, chair of the National Association of Waste Disposal Officers (NAWDO) added: "The escalator has always been appreciated for helping to drive sustainable waste management practice."

However, many people suggest that it was important for the Chancellor to state in his 2009/10 Budget on April 22 how much the levy would rise in future – because this was crucial to planning.

Mr Burdis said: "We are left in limbo in the medium to long term. We think Landfill Tax will replace landfill allowances as the key driver to divert waste from landfill and I would implore the Treasury to let us know his long-term plans in the Budget. He has said it will go up but not by how much."

Mr Murphy added that the tax was generally expected to go up to as high as £70 a tonne over the next few years but that the situation was still very unclear.He said: "We need to know what the escalator might be after next year, and how long that might be in place. I think we should have that sort of announcement before next year to give us time to plan. But I don't think we will see it in the Budget. I don't think anyone will make any statement about the longer term of the escalator with an election in the offing."

Adam Read, consultant at AEA, cast further doubt on whether there would be an announcement. He said: "The Chancellor could delay any announcement to see what happens with the economy. Paying Landfill Tax is an issue for businesses at the moment."

March 2009
London’s Calling
BioGenpower, one of the UK’s fastest growing renewable energy companies has earmarked London as a key area for expansion. The company believes that their ‘small scale’ Energy Recovery Facilities offer part of an integrated solution to deal with London’s waste mountain. The adoption of this strategy will see BioGenpower investing some £240m in London’s waste infrastructure and will provide good news in terms of jobs, both in the construction and waste management sectors.

James Short, BioGenpower’s Chairman stated, "While London is a big city with a big waste disposal problem, the solutions are lots of smaller facilities rather than too many big ones. We need to consider the ‘carbon footprint’ associated with big incinerators that require high levels of vehicle movements in order to get the waste to the point of disposal. On busy and congested roads this is a key issue! BioGenpower builds and operates ‘small scale’ 80,000 to 160,000 tonne per year energy recovery facilities on sites of 3 to 4 acres, and London has lots of these, so we are able to reduce traffic movements and offer a smaller carbon footprint solution. This strategy, together with proven technology that’s both green and clean with good neighbourhood relationships in all areas where there are current facilities operating, means we are confident that our solution will be more acceptable to the people of London".

With seven sites already secured and with four sites awaiting planning decisions, BioGenpower is well on its way to achieving its objective of developing, building and operating at least 12 Energy Recovery facilities across the UK. The company has already achieved planning consent to build an 80,000 tonne Energos Energy Recovery Facility at Irvine, North Ayrshire and has entered into an agreement to potentially build the facility in partnership with ENER-G plc, the owner of the chosen Energos technology.

March 2009
BioGenpower grows in Scotland
In a further development that see’s Lancashire based BioGenpower continuing to grow their Scottish site acquisition activities, agreements have now been signed with Glasgow based Wm Tracey Limited to develop a 120,000 tonne per year Energy Recovery Facility to the west of Glasgow. The facility will utilise Energos technology and will compliment the existing consented site at Irvine, North Ayrshire, where planning has already been granted to build an 80,000 tonne per year facility.

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower’s CEO commented, ‘Our agreement with Wm Tracey Limited, one of Scotland’s largest and most progressive waste management companies, has created an excellent opportunity, both for BioGenpower and the people and businesses communities of West Glasgow and Paisley. Energos technology is clean, cost effective and proven. These benefits, together with the facilities capability of producing renewable electricity and heat, will result in a sustainable and appropriately sized waste disposal solution which will further assist Scotland with its diversion of waste from landfill’.

February 2009
BioGenpower expands into Northern Ireland
BioGenpower is pleased to announce that it has now signed ‘Heads of Terms’ with Glenfarm Holdings Limited, a Northern Ireland based farmers cooperative, to build and operate an 80,000 tonne per year Energos Energy Recovery Facility south west of Belfast. This agreement is the first for BioGenpower in Northern Ireland, an area where we believe that there is scope to develop a number of such facilities. It is hoped that a full planning application will be submitted within six months with the facility being available to accept both municipal and commercial wastes from the local area. The facility will also export much needed renewable electricity to the local grid, as well as offering renewable heat to local businesses.

James Short, BioGenpower’s Chairman commented, "This is an excellent opportunity to expand BioGenpower’s reach into Northern Ireland., where there are a number of areas well suited to accommodate and benefit from Energos technology. We are confident that with partners such as Glenfarm Holdings, we will be able to offer all the benefits of green and clean ‘small scale’ waste disposal facilities to the people and businesses in Northern Ireland".

August 2008
CIWM feature
BioGenpower was the subject of a major feature in the official journal of the Chartered Institute of Waste Management.
Click here to open PDF

April 2008
Nick Baston joins BioGenpower
BioGenpower has successfully recruited the able services of Nick Baston, who will join the BioGenpower team in May 2008 as Property, Planning and Licensing Manager. Nick joins from national waste company WRG, where he has held a number of senior positions, though latterly as their Senior Estates Manager for the Southern half of the UK. Previous to WRG, Nick worked with consultancy, AIG, as a Development Surveyor, managing landfill applications and varying EfW and waste treatment planning and licensing applications. Nick has a wealth of knowledge gained from within the waste management industry which will assist BioGenpower ’s business strategy, particularly with its plans to build and operate 12 EfW plants across the UK over the next five years. Nick is a graduate of Sheffield’s Hallam University, where he studied minerals estate management.

March 2008
BioGenpower tie-up technology supply agreement with ENER-G Holdings plc
BioGenpower has signed a technology supply agreement with ENER-G Holdings plc. The agreement will provide BioGenpower access to a further 11 ENERGOS EfW plants over the next five years. “This is a significant step forward for our company,” said BioGenpower ’s Chairman, James Short.

He added: “We are of the belief that tried and tested renewable technology will be in short supply over the next few years. Securing our supply chain now means that we can concentrate on site acquisition and planning, rather than losing focus trying to procure prototype alternatives. ENERGOS technology has a ten year track record and their plant scale fits neatly with our strategy of building and operating ‘small-scale’ EfW plants, close to where the waste is located.”

March 2008
Government announces eco town shortlist
Britain’s Housing Minister, Caroline Flint, has given the green light to 15 potential locations for the UK’s first new towns to be built for nearly 50 years. Although it is believed that some five of the shortlist will fail to meet the necessary standards, we could still see ten eco towns being built by 2016. The sites are not greenfield and include ex-MOD sites, a former clay pit, an old colliery and a disused airfield.

However, each location will need to gain planning approval, though it is thought that this will be easier to achieve with central government support. James Short, BioGenpower’s Chairman stated that the proposals could present great opportunities for renewable energy companies like ours, as small-scale EfW plants frequently supply district heating systems and electricity for small towns across Europe, and as these eco towns will have a green and clean requirement, the necessary infrastructure could be built–in, early on in the process.

February 2008
ENERGOS to build sixth plant in Norway
In February 2008, ENERGOS entered a contract with Hafslund Heat and Infrastructure AS (part of the Norwegian energy company Hafslund ASA) to supply an 80,000 tpa double line plant at Borregaard Industries Limited, Sarpsborg Chemical plant in Norway.

This new plant will compliment the existing Ostfold Energi owned ENERGOS plant which has been supplying steam to Borregaard Industries since 2003.

BioGenpower ’s CEO, Christian Reeve, commented that the deal is an important one for ENERGOS and BioGenpower, as it demonstrates the reliability and functionality of the technology, to the extent that a happy customer has come back for more! The plant will be built to the same capacity as the ENERGOS / BioGenpower plant planned for Irvine, North Ayrshire, where construction will hopefully commence later this year.

February 2008
ENER-G plc acquire 25 per cent of BioGenpower
ENER-G plc, the owners of the ENERGOS EfW technology, this month acquired 25 per cent of BioGenpower’s share capital. The deal also included an option agreement to jointly develop the planned ENERGOS EfW plant at Irvine, North Ayrshire.

BioGenpower ’s CEO, Christian Reeve, said: “The investment by ENER-G Holdings plc will help to support and speed up BioGenpower’s strategic expansion. In order to deliver on our commitment to build and operate 12 ENERGOS EfW plants in the UK over the next five years, we needed robust and competent strategic partners. Who better than our providers of small-scale EfW technology.”

October 2007
BioGenpower appoints FD
Michael Darch has joined BioGenpower as Financial Director, having spent the last ten years working in the Middle East.

Michael’s career commenced at Unilever plc, where he worked as a graduate trainee, moving onto BNFL, where he later became a divisional board member, having passed his professional accountancy exams. In 1989, Michael moved to BAE Systems plc, where he held a number of senior positions, including the FD role at its autonomous jet leasing business. In 1998, Michael moved to the Middle East, creating the region’s first ‘big ticket’ leasing business. More recently, Michael held the position of CFO at The International Investor, a listed and diverse investment company, with interests in investment banking, retail financial services, vehicle fleet leasing acquisition and contemporary back office processing services. Michael is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and will bring valuable fundraising and financial management skills to our organisation.

August 2007
Planning green light for BioGenpower Irvine plant
BioGenpower has successfully obtained planning consent to build an 80,000 tpa ENERGOS EfW plant at Irvine, North Ayrshire. The plant will have the ability to dispose of both MSW and CIW, however the plant will not be licensed to treat hazardous wastes. It is expected that construction will commence in late 2008, with completion in early 2010. The project will bring a large number of construction jobs to the local area over the two year build period, with up to 20 full-time jobs being created once the plant is fully operational.

BioGenpower ’s Chairman, James Short said: “This is a major achievement for the company. The team at BioGenpower has worked very hard to achieve planning consent in Irvine, being the very first of its technology type and size in the UK. Hopefully, our success in Irvine will be repeated throughout the UK, as we apply to build and operate further plants in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland.”

February 2007
Ernst & Young LLP on board
BioGenpower has appointed Ernst & Young LLP as their financial advisors. E&Y will assist BioGenpower with their ambitious expansion program and will advise on both equity and senior debt funding, both at a corporate and individual project level.

Christian Reeve, BioGenpower ’s CEO, said: “E&Y has perhaps the largest renewables team in the UK and have valuable expertise in funding large capital projects, particularly in the EfW sector. BioGenpower ’s expansion will require excellent professional financial advice and guidance, and we firmly believe that E&Y are well placed to provide this service.”

FAQs

What is Energy from Waste?
EfW is the name given to the thermal treatment of waste under controlled conditions in which energy is produced. This energy can either be converted to electricity to boost the National Grid...

View all FAQs >>

The UK waste issue
Renewable energy issue