Construction of Encyclis’ Protos carbon capture plant enters new phase

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’ breakthrough Protos project in Cheshire.

The plant, which is due to be completed in 2029, will prevent the release of around 370,000 tonnes per year of carbon dioxide emissions from Encyclis’ adjoining Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF), which is now in commissioning at the site near Ellesmere Port. Captured CO2 will be transferred via pipeline to Liverpool Bay for permanent subsea storage, as part of a landmark roll-out that will provide a blueprint for the decarbonisation of essential industrial sectors.

Encyclis’ engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor Kanadevia Inova has completed initial enabling works at the 4.4-acre site to establish a working platform. This provides a stable base to allow for intensive construction activity and the introduction of heavy machinery.

With site establishment completed and an upgraded perimeter fence in place, continuous flight auger (CFA) and driven piling activities are the current focus of work to ensure the safe and efficient progress of the project.

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 which contribute to climate change. We have assembled an outstanding team of project leaders, engineers and contractors to make sure this groundbreaking project continues to move forwards on schedule.”

The Protos carbon capture project got the go-ahead last October when Encyclis secured a public-private funding agreement with the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero as part of its industrial decarbonisation cluster programme.

This followed the Government’s commitment in 2024 to invest £21.7bn in carbon capture projects in the UK over the next 25 years, helping to establish the UK as a global leader in the fast-growing carbon capture sector in line with the Government’s industrial strategy and helping to meet its legally-binding net zero target.

The construction and commissioning of the Protos carbon capture plant will directly support up to 500 skilled jobs and is expected to deliver a significant boost to the regional supply chain.

Protos ERF is now in the final stages of commissioning and will provide capacity to process up to 500,000 tonnes per year of the region’s non-recycled waste while producing 49.9MW of baseload electricity and recovering resources such as aggregates and metals for reuse in support of the circular economy transition.