Simec Atlantis Energy has awarded a front end engineering design contract to a consortium comprising engineering firm WSP, and combustion system designers RJM, relating to conversion of its Uskmouth power plant to burn pellets derived from waste.

The FEED contract is to complete all technical testing and design work required to demonstrate that the waste derived energy pellets provided by Simec Subcoal Fuels can be used as a fuel to convert the plant from generating power from coal to running on 100% energy pellets.

Post conversion, the power station will export 220MW of baseload power to the grid using energy pellets produced from non-recyclable waste destined for landfill, with an average calorific value of 20 MJ/ kg. The energy pellets are produced using technology developed by Dutch company N+P Group, with one of four new UK pellet facilities to be developed on land adjacent to the Uskmouth power station. Simec Subcoal Fuels is a 50:50 joint venture between N+P Group and Simec Energy, a member of the GFG Alliance.

The conversion is expected to take 18 months post completion of FEED, with a target of first production in Q4 2020. The converted station will have an operational life of 20 years.

The Environmental Planning and Permitting contract has been awarded to RPS.

Atlantis has been awarded the management services contract in relation to the consenting process for the pellet plant. When completed, the SSF pellet plant will convert 600,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste into energy pellets.

The pellets are composed of non-recyclable-waste (card, paper, biogenic and plastic) otherwise destined for landfilow. The Uskmouth pellet will consist of 50% biogenic material, which burns carbon neutral, said Simec.

Pellet milling trials have been conducted by SSF in the Netherlands in order to adapt existing processes to produce a fuel pellet with physical characteristics suited for Uskmouth. During testing, this proprietary hardened pellet was crushed through both Andritz and CPM hammer mills.