A proposal from Irish renewable energy firm Solar21 to develop the £3bn North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park has been accepted by the UK's planning inspectorate, with building set to commence in 2024.
Solar21 said the project will bring together a range of proven technologies to recover energy from waste along with carbon capture, utilisation and storage, green hydrogen production and district heat network.
The park, situated on the Flixborough Port in north-eastern England, will use most of the by-products from the process, including the ash which will be used to make concrete products.
With a private rail link to the national network, the energy recovery element of the project will produce 95MW of electricity, and it envisaged that 760,000 tonnes of waster per annum will be diverted from landfill.
Solar21 said the park has the potential to support a district heat network, which has received backing from the North Lincolnshire Council Towns Fund, and could result in a total of 30MW of battery storage and 10MW of green hydrogen production/storage.
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The project has been classified as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, which requires consent from the UK's Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
The Planning Inspectorate will now hold a preliminary meeting and set a timetable for examination within the next six months. After this, the Inspectorate will issue a recommendation to the Secretary of State within three months, and a decision will be made within a further three months.
"Based on the current timeline, we expect a decision on our application to be given in early 2024. Historically, more than 98% of similar [Development Consent Order] applications have been successful, so we are both hopeful and relatively confident that this project will go ahead," said Michael Bradley, CEO of Solar21.
The North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park is designed to be clean and efficient and to ensure that as much energy as possible is recovered from waste that cannot be recycled.
"The aim is to create opportunities for zero-carbon business development in the local area and to provide clean heat and electricity for NLC's proposed 65-acre Advanced Manufacturing Park, new regional hospital and the already approved Lincolnshire Lakes housing development, comprising of 7,000 new homes.
"Our plans could see up to 257 new full-time jobs created once fully operational. These jobs will help develop new skills that support the region’s transition to net zero. Up to 600 jobs in construction will also be created. The North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park could help establish the right conditions for another 1,000 new jobs overall by attracting businesses to the area."
EY has been selected as the funding partner for the project, and EY corporate finance partner Andrew Perkins said the need for renewable energy has "never been stronger".
"Unprecedented volatility in the natural gas market and geopolitical shocks have sent world leaders rushing to diversify their nation’s energy mix and reduce their reliance on gas," he continued.
"With net-zero deadlines also inching closer, governments are keen to fill this supply gap with renewable energy. For that to happen, however, the renewables sector needs emerging technologies and markets to take a major leap forward.
The North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park is an exciting and exceptionally forward-thinking development that brings together multiple associated developments in one place – all of which tick many of the boxes in the UK Government’s 10 point plan”.
The UK has set legally binding targets to reach net-zero carbon emissions and zero avoidable waste to landfill by 2050, and Solar21 has said that carbon capture, utilisation and storage, together with green Hydrogen production will need to be part of the strategy to achieve net zero carbon within this timeframe.
"We have already received significant interest in this project and our broader portfolio and have entered into number of Non-Disclosure Agreements with interested parties. We believe that funding for this project will be over subscribed," said Bradley
The need for a new approach is especially urgent in Northern England, where industry currently releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than anywhere else in the UK, and where millions of tonnes of waste go to landfill every year.
"The North Lincolnshire Green Energy Park will help meet these challenges, while fulfilling a vital public service and furthering the country’s green revolution.”
Solar 21 consulted with Fichtner Consulting Engineers (technical), Womble Bond Dickinson (legal), Buro Happold (civils), LDA Design & Consulting (design), GSDA (architecture), ERM (environmental), SEC Newgate and Font Communications (communications) and DWD and Northern Planners (planning) in preparing and submitting the application.
