Statement from our Chairperson
For over 30 years SELCHP ERF (Energy Recovery Facility) has reliably served its local community by combusting residual waste that cannot be recycled. From this controlled process steam is raised which is used to generate electricity both for export to the national grid and to locally recharge electric waste collection vehicles.
SELCHP is one of only a few ERFs in the UK currently connected to a district heating system. This provides an ever-expanding number of homes and businesses with heat and hot water and is a highly efficient use of recovered steam. At a time of uncertain energy prices, local communities benefit from SELCHP through affordable, reliable local energy as well as a reduced carbon footprint.
At SELCHP metals that are embedded in the bottom ash left over from the combustion process are sent to a third party in London for recycling; the remaining ash is processed into an aggregate material used for construction purposes and building roads.
As a by-product of combusting residual waste, ERFs such as SELCHP emit carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. The UK has a target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 100% by 2050 from 1990 levels. The question is therefore, how sustainable is an ERF such as SELCHP?
Clearly if the UK were to cease to produce combustible residual waste then there would be no requirement for residual waste treatment facilities such as SELCHP. However, whilst the UK can and should do more to reduce waste tonnages and increase recycling rates (and has targets to do so), it is generally accepted that there will always be a non-recyclable element of the waste stream which needs to be safely treated.
Over the last 20 years or so the UK has seen the development of a number of different residual waste treatment technologies; ERFs such as SELCHP have stood the test of time and have shown themselves to be the most robust and reliable treatment option of all.
It is important to remember that the primary role of ERFs is the safe treatment of residual waste. The generation of energy (either in the form of electricity or heat) is highly beneficial but it is a by-product of the combustion process. This means that comparing the carbon-intensity of ERFs with other forms of energy generation is relatively meaningless exercise – no power generator would look to residual waste as their fuel of choice.
Around half of the energy generated by an ERF comes from waste of biological origin and so is renewable and the export of energy from SELCHP both complements intermittent renewable energy sources and delivers reliable base-load energy.
The remaining energy comes from the fossil part of the waste e.g. plastics, and the industry is continually looking at how it can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from such sources. This will almost certainly be through a mix of actions – including further reductions of plastic wastes or through the development of solutions for the capture and usage or storage of fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions.
The further growth in heat export from SELCHP will also lead to a reduction in overall carbon dioxide emissions – particularly where the heat supplied is replacing natural gas boilers.
This, and other ongoing technical developments is part of the continuous process at SELCHP to ensure that the facility remains efficient and reliable for many more years to come. I would like to encourage you to visit SELCHP and see how the plant works and how it offers value to the community and to society as a whole.
Adrian Judge, January 2025