Reece Matthews

Proposals for the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park, to be located at the Flixborough Industrial Estate, will be open for public consultation and comment between 26 May 2020 and 14 July 2020.

The core elements of the scheme promoted by Solar 21, will include a 95-megawatt Energy Recovery Facility that will divert up to 650,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill every year. This will integrate 10-megawatts of hydrogen storage, 30-megawatts of battery storage, 120 tonnes of steam storage and an ash treatment facility. The plans include a new access road to link the Flixborough Industrial Estate with the A1077, a district heat network to service the planned Lincolnshire Lakes development, an extended jetty for the Flixborough Wharf, reinstatement of the railway line and to provide hydrogen for a Scunthorpe hydrogen bus pilot and a community electric vehicle charging scheme. Recent discussions have included the option to supply heat, power and cooling to the proposed new Scunthorpe Hospital. The facility will be the first to be designed and built with functioning carbon dioxide capture and utilisation. All ash will be heat-treated, with the aggregate used on-site for concrete block manufacture.

It is expected that this proposal will lead to the creation of up to 300 permanent local jobs and up to 100 apprenticeships. In addition, up to 600 jobs will be required on site through the construction period. The scheme will also generate opportunities for further net-zero carbon business development providing over 1,000 additional new jobs.

Due to the amount of energy the facility will generate, the project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project – meaning it will need to obtain planning consent from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Michael Bradley, CEO, from Solar 21 said:

“The North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park is designed to be clean and efficient and ensure as much energy as possible is recovered from waste that cannot be recycled and to create opportunities for zero-carbon business development in the local area. It will directly create up to 300 local jobs and up to 100 apprenticeships. It will also help address two urgent national and local needs: to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and generate low carbon energy.

We are consulting at an early stage because we want to gain valuable feedback from the local community. Whilst we are unable to hold face-to-face events at this time, we have gone the extra mile to ensure consultees have every opportunity to feedback on our proposals.”

The duration of the consultation is between 26 May 2020 and 14 July 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Solar 21 is putting in place a range of measures for local people to find out more

and share their views through digital and more traditional communication channels. These include a dedicated project website, posting a booklet containing details of the proposals to more than 2,000 homes and businesses in the vicinity, hosting webinars, establishing a dedicated project phoneline/email for consultees, and an online feedback form. For more information, go to www.northlincolnshiregreenenergypark.co.uk or contact the project team via info@northlincolnshiregreenenergypark.co.uk or 0800 130 3353.

 

For further information, please contact:

Joshua Bell Joshua.bell@newgatecomms.com

Mob: 07469 159 489

 

Douglas Johnson: Douglas.johnson@newgatecomms.com

Mob: 07920 802 790

 

Note to editors:

About Solar 21

Solar 21 sources, develops, and manages renewable energy projects across a range of technologies including solar, biomass, biogas and energy recovery facilities.

Locally, Solar 21 has built a 23-megawatt biomass plant that will divert up to 150,000 tonnes per annum of waste wood that would otherwise go to landfill. Solar 21 has also built a 2-megawatt biogas plant which will process up to 80,000 tonnes of potato pulp and vegetable waste each year. Site works are in progress at a new 26-megawatt Energy Recovery Facility, located at Melton, near Hull, with planning consent to turn 250,000 tonnes of refuse derived fuel, that would normally go to landfill or export, into useable energy. Construction has begun on another biogas plant co-located on the same site.

These projects help to deliver the UK Government’s Clean Energy Strategy, which aims to boost renewable energy technology usage in the UK. In the East Midlands and the East Riding of Yorkshire alone, Solar 21 has provided inward investment of £260m into assets valued at £750m employing 150 local staff.

Updated proposals for the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park, planned to be located on the Flixborough Industrial Estate, will be open for public consultation from 14 June to 25 July 2021.

The proposals for the energy park, announced last year by Solar 21, are designed to recover energy from waste while using as many of the by-products from the process as possible. It will be the first energy recovery facility in the UK to use carbon capture, storage and utilisation technology and will also include a plastic recycling facility and hydrogen, heat and battery storage. Low-carbon energy would be supplied to local homes and businesses through a district network.

The plans have been refined significantly since an initial round of consultation in 2020, taking into account public feedback. They now also include a visitor centre for local schools and colleges, improved links for pedestrians and cyclists and the creation of a new wetland landscape for local people to enjoy.

Due to the amount of energy that the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park would generate, the project is classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. This means it will need to obtain planning consent from the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The consultation is taking place in line with requirements set by the Planning Act 2008 for projects of this type.

Local residents can find out more by viewing a virtual exhibition online, taking part in online Q&As or booking an appointment to speak directly with the project team. These will be by telephone, or in-person if COVID 19 rules allow. All consultation documents will be available to view at locations in the community and online at www.northlincolnshiregreenenergypark.co.uk.

Colin Hammond, Project Director for North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park, said:

“As a country, we need to transform the way we heat our homes, power our industries and travel around, to meet the challenges of climate change. At the North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park, we will use a truly innovative set of technologies to help meet all of these challenges while fulfilling a vital public service and furthering the UK’s green revolution.

“We expect our plans to prevent 760,000 tonnes of waste going to landfill and to generate enough low-carbon energy for three times the number of homes in North Lincolnshire every year, as well as to create 300 jobs. We will also leave the area around the project site a better place for local people to walk and cycle around.

“We look forward to revealing more about our proposals and discussing them with the local community.” For more information, please see: www.northlincolnshiregreenenergypark.co.uk.

 

For further information, please contact:

Douglas Johnson

Douglas.johnson@secnewgate.co.uk

Mob: 07920 802 790

Joshua Bell

Joshua.bell@secnewgate.co.uk

Mob: 07469 159 489

Note to editors:

About Solar 21

Solar 21 sources, develops, and manages green energy projects across a range of technologies including solar, biomass, biogas and energy recovery.

Its UK portfolio currently includes an operational 23 megawatt biomass plant which generates energy from up to 150,000 tonnes per annum of waste wood that would otherwise go to landfill, and a 2 megawatt biogas plant which will produce energy from up to 80,000 tonnes of potato pulp and vegetable waste each year.

Under construction are a 26 megawatt energy recovery facility which has planning consent to turn 250,000 tonnes of refuse derived fuel, which would normally go to landfill or export, into energy, and a biogas plant located on the same site.

The sites, which are all located in East Midlands or the East Riding of Yorkshire, employ 150 local people. In the region, Solar 21 has invested £260m in assets valued at £750m.