Construction of the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture plant for Energy-from-Waste has entered a new phase, with foundational works now underway at Encyclis’ Protos project near Ellesmere Port in Cheshire.
EPC contractor Kanadevia Inova has completed initial enabling works at the 4.4-acre site, with continuous flight auger and driven piling activities now the focus of work.
The plant is due for completion in 2029 and will capture around 370,000 tonnes of CO2 per year from the adjoining Protos Energy Recovery Facility, which is currently in commissioning. Captured CO2 will be transferred via pipeline to Liverpool Bay for permanent subsea storage.
The project secured a public-private funding agreement with the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero last October, as part of the government’s industrial decarbonisation cluster programme. Construction and commissioning will directly support up to 500 skilled jobs.
Helen Moon, Project Manager for CCS at Encyclis, said: “We are making excellent progress towards delivery of the UK’s first decarbonised Energy-from-Waste facility, which will enable us to fulfil our essential function in society by treating residual waste, recovering reusable resources and generating baseload electricity, while removing greenhouse gas emissions.”
The Protos ERF will process up to 500,000 tonnes of non-recycled waste per year while producing 49.9 MW of baseload electricity.
The project forms part of the government’s £21.7bn commitment to carbon capture investment over 25 years.
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