UK Protos ERF Waste-to-Energy Plant Achieves First Fire, Processing 500,000 Tonnes Annually

en.Wedoany.com Reported - UK waste-to-energy operator Encyclis has achieved first fire at the Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cheshire, officially commencing the hot commissioning phase. Prior to ignition, the facility had already received its first deliveries of over 2,500 tonnes of residual waste.

The facility was designed and built by EPC partners METLEN and Standardkessel Baumgarte GmbH. Once fully operational, it will process up to 500,000 tonnes of non-recyclable municipal and commercial waste annually, generating up to 49.9 MW of baseload electricity for local homes and businesses, while recovering secondary aggregates and recyclable metals to support circular economy goals.

Encyclis has established a permanent workforce of over 45 skilled workers and 4 local apprentices for the Cheshire facility, with plans to expand as the site's infrastructure develops.

As part of the HyNet carbon capture integration project, the facility is scheduled to achieve decarbonised operation by 2029. At that point, Protos ERF will become the UK's first decarbonised waste-to-energy facility. A dedicated carbon capture unit is currently under construction on adjacent land, designed to capture approximately 370,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually from the facility's flue gas from 2029 onwards. The captured carbon will be transported via pipeline to Liverpool Bay for permanent offshore geological storage as part of the regional HyNet North West carbon capture and storage (CCS) cluster.

Encyclis CEO Mark Burrows-Smith stated that the new facility plays a dual role in regional waste management and industrial decarbonisation. He said achieving first fire is a significant operational milestone for Protos ERF, bringing the company closer to delivering the UK's first decarbonised waste-to-energy infrastructure, with construction of the carbon capture facility progressing smoothly.