Encyclis’ Protos ERF reaches major milestone with first fire on waste

Encyclis’ state-of-the-art Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cheshire has begun the transition into operations by combusting residual, non-recyclable waste for the first time as part of the commissioning process.

The facility received its first deliveries of waste and subsequently completed its ‘first fire on waste’ this week. Over 2,500 tonnes of residual waste have been delivered to the facility so far.

Once the final stages of commissioning and demonstration testing are completed, Protos ERF will safely and sustainably process up to 500,000 tonnes per year of the region’s non-recyclable commercial and municipal waste. It will generate up to 49.9MW of baseload electricity for homes and businesses, while recovering secondary aggregates and recyclable metals for ongoing use in the transition to a more circular economy.

In the next three years, Protos ERF will also become a national and international exemplar for industrial decarbonisation, with a groundbreaking carbon capture plant now under construction on adjoining land. Around 370,000 tonnes per year of CO2 emissions from Protos ERF will be captured and transported via pipeline for permanent storage in Liverpool Bay as part of the HyNet North West carbon capture and storage (CCS) cluster.

Encyclis has assembled a skilled workforce of more than 45 people who will operate and maintain Protos ERF. These include engineers, electricians, operators, environmental specialists and support staff. The team will further expand when the carbon capture plant is activated in 2029. In addition, four local apprentices have been recruited and are undertaking formal training to equip them with the necessary technical qualifications.

The Chief Executive of Encyclis, Mark Burrows-Smith said: “Achieving first fire on waste is an exciting milestone for Protos ERF as it transitions into commercial operations. This facility will fulfil an essential role by providing the region with vital processing capacity for non-recyclable waste, while generating baseload electricity to power homes and businesses, and additionally recovering resources including secondary aggregates and metals for recycling and reuse. This week’s news also takes us closer to delivering the UK’s first decarbonised Energy-from-Waste infrastructure, with construction of our groundbreaking carbon capture facility well underway alongside Protos ERF. The progress we have made is a credit to the hard work and expertise of our construction teams, contractors and suppliers.”

The plant entered the hot commissioning phase earlier this year under the management of Encyclis’ turnkey partners METLEN and Standardkessel Baumgarte GmbH, who undertook the engineering, procurement and construction of the facility. Key systems and components have been progressively brought into operation in preparation for first waste deliveries.

Protos ERF represents another important addition to Encyclis’ integrated cluster of operational facilities in the heartlands of the UK, alongside Rookery South ERF in Bedfordshire and Newhurst ERF in Leicestershire. In addition, the construction of Encyclis’ fourth core facility, Walsall ERF, is advancing in the West Midlands and due to begin operations next year.