Powerfuel Portland is a local company with an office in Dorset, whose Directors have extensive experience of delivering large-scale renewable energy facilities. 

The proposed Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) will have the capacity to process up to 202,000 tonnes of Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) per year, providing a practical solution to our significant waste problem.

RDF consists largely of combustible components of municipal solid waste comprising household, commercial and skip waste after recyclable materials such as glass, plastics and metals have been removed. The ERF will not treat hazardous or clinical waste. The bottom ash can be recycled and used as aggregate in infrastructure projects.

The ERF will be one of a new generation of energy from waste facilities, which will use the latest technologies and best available techniques to safely and efficiently produce low carbon energy from non-recyclable waste.

As the site is at the Port, the RDF can arrive either by road or sea. Deliveries by sea will be wrapped and baled, while road deliveries will be either baled or in sealed vehicles. 

Once inside the facility, the fuel will be de-baled (if required), shredded and screened before being used for combustion. The RDF will pass over a grate producing heat in a boiler to generate superheated steam, which will generate electricity in a steam turbine. Around 15MW of power will be exported to the National Grid or used locally. 

Modern ERFs are strictly monitored by the Environment Agency and must comply with all applicable legislation including the control of emissions. A large proportion of the plant is devoted to cleaning emissions. 

ERFs can only operate with an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency (EA) under the Pollution Prevention and Control regulations and operators must monitor and report emissions from the plant. 

The EA inspects facilities regularly and tightly enforces regulations. Importantly, in October 2019 Public Health England reiterated its previously published view that ‘well run and regulated modern municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health’. >The Portland location provides a unique opportunity within Dorset to deliver an ERF facility with a credible plan to use the heat produced as part of the process and maximise the efficiency and energy recovery generated from Dorset’s residual (post-recycling) waste. 

Powerfuel and the Ministry of Justice have advanced commercial and technical discussions regarding the provision of heat from the Portland ERF to two significant prisons, HMP The Verne (~500m) and HMP YOI Portland (~1.6km). 

Portland Port and its tenants have also expressed an interest in receiving direct supply of low carbon power (and potentially heat) from the Portland ERF which would result in a low cost of energy for these businesses due to the avoidance of electricity grid costs.

District Heating

The Portland location provides a unique opportunity within Dorset to deliver an ERF facility with a credible plan to use the heat produced as part of the process and maximise the efficiency and energy recovery generated from Dorset’s residual (post-recycling) waste. 

Powerfuel and the Ministry of Justice have advanced commercial and technical discussions regarding the provision of heat from the Portland ERF to two significant prisons, HMP The Verne (~500m) and HMP YOI Portland (~1.6km). 

Portland Port and its tenants have also expressed an interest in receiving direct supply of low carbon power (and potentially heat) from the Portland ERF which would result in a low cost of energy for these businesses due to the avoidance of electricity grid costs.

Environmental Permit

Modern ERFs are strictly monitored by the Environment Agency and must comply with all applicable legislation including the control of emissions. A large proportion of the plant is devoted to cleaning emissions.

ERFs can only operate with an Environmental Permit from the Environment Agency (EA) under the Pollution Prevention and Control regulations and operators must monitor and report emissions from the plant.

The EA inspects facilities regularly and tightly enforces regulations. Importantly, in October 2019 Public Health England reiterated its previously published view that ‘well run and regulated modern municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health’.