Stockton on Tees Borough Council has granted planning permission to Air Products for its proposed Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility .

The site will be capable of producing up to 49MW of electricity from about 300,000 tonnes of waste – making it one of the largest advanced gasification projects planned for the UK.

According, to US based, Air Products the building is the first ‘of a number’ of EfWs it is looking to develop in the UK over the next few years.

But, the company did stress further plants were very much a ‘long-term’ vision and all Air Product’s plans were subject to Government support including the upcoming Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) banding review.

And, some aspects of the financing still needs to be agreed and the Environment Agency will need to green light the scheme, but if those go smoothly work on the site could start next year with commercial operations starting in 2014.

Energy and climate change minister, Greg Barker, said: “I welcome the progress Air Products has made with its project to bring advanced gasification to the UK.

“Energy from waste leads to considerable reductions in waste going into landfill, and makes an important contribution to the UK’s low-carbon energy supply.

“This new technology will be an exciting addition to the energy from waste sector and I look forward to seeing the announcement of more of these projects.”

Air Products European hydrogen and bioenergy director, Ian Williamson, added: “Our facility will be using the latest and most advanced gasification technology to generate renewable power.”

Located at a New Energy and Technology Business Park, near Billingham, the plant will convert pre-processed household and commercial waste into renewable power for up to 50,000 homes in the north east.

The company hopes between 500 and 700 people will be employed during the project’s construction phase with 50 permanent jobs being created once the facility is operational.

Luke Walsh

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