Hydrogen and biofuels firm Eqtec is partnering up to build a multi-input waste-to-energy plant at Southport’s Hybrid Energy Park, Merseyside.
The technology innovators announced this morning a joint venture Southport WTV with biogas multinational Anaergia.
Municipal refuse in quantities up to 80,000 tonnes per year will provide the plant’s core feedstock. Anaerobic digestion will magic the slurry into 6 million cubic metres of biomethane, ready for injecting into Britain’s gas grid.
The nation’s electricity supply will also benefit from Southport WTV’s technology mix. CHP engines will draw off gas both conventional and synthesised, running turbines to spark up 9MWh of power per year. A 2MW battery will stabilise and trade output, maximising revenues.
Anaergia will build Southport WTV, and run it for five years.
Today’s deal foresees Eqtec also seeking planning permission at a future date to incorporate its patented Advanced Gasification Technology into the site. The goal would be to turn 25,000 tonnes or so of solid waste into 3 million MWh of clean electricity each year.
Another option is producing clean hydrogen, by applying Eqtec’ gas synthesis technology together with syngas-to-hydrogen technology provided by a technology partner.
At peak operation, Southport WTV will be exporting to the grid power equal to 20% of the consumption of its eponymous town.
The pair have already co-operated on Eqtec’s power & biomethane project in north Wales, pictured. No budget was announced for the Southport project.
Previous co-operation
EQTEC head David Palumbo commented: “Anaergia has been a great partner at, and we are very happy to be co-developing Southport with them.
“The future of renewable energy beyond fossil fuels will be a mixed economy, and the Deeside and Southport plants will demonstrate that. These projects are at the cutting edge of clean, waste-to-energy and hydrogen innovation in the UK”.
Anaergia’s UK managing director Simon Christian commented: “We are excited to be involved in another opportunity to combine our industry-leading organics recovery capabilities with EQTEC’s advanced gasification expertise on the Southport project.
Organic waste sifted through large perforated cyclinders known as trommels present a big technical challenge for such plants as Deeside and Southport. Christian argued that Anaergia’s patented OREXTM extrusion press mean organics can be recovered from this difficult material and converted into useful resources.
AIM investors liked what they heard. By early afternoon, Eqtec’s share price had risen 0.9%, reacting to recent declines in the company’s value.
