The South Clyde Energy Centre is an under-construction Energy-from-Waste Facility (EfW) in Glasgow, Scotland. The facility is being built on land adjacent to Bogmoor Road in North Cardonald.
By recycling non-hazardous waste, the centre will generate up to 45MWe of lower carbon electricity. This is enough to power around 70,000 homes.
In July 2022, Macquarie Asset Management’s Green Investment Group (GIG) and Nordic energy company Fortum formed a joint venture (JV) and made initial funding commitments to deliver the project.
Macquarie Asset Management signed a deal to divest its 50% in the South Clyde Energy Centre to Gren Energy.
Following Macquarie’s exit, the construction of the South Clyde Energy Centre is now being overseen by Fortum Glasgow, a collaboration between Fortum and Gren Energy.
The facility is slated to begin commercial operations by the end of 2026.
South Clyde Energy Centre Overview
The South Clyde Energy Centre will produce energy from non-hazardous domestic and commercial waste left over from the recycling process. The energy generated the heat will be channelled into the grid, strengthening Scottish energy resilience.
The Energy from Waste (EfW) will involve recovering energy through waste incineration, a method used for materials that cannot be recycled. This process ensures that non-recyclable waste is diverted from landfills.
The facility is expected to process approximately 350,000 tonnes of residual waste. This is equivalent to the waste arising from around 380,000 households. The move will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 67kt CO2e annually.
The South Clyde Energy Centre will decarbonise waste from Glasgow and nearby areas, thereby reducing the environmental impact of waste.
The plant will use non-recyclable waste as fuel, with advanced combustion processes and flue gas cleaning technology designed to minimise harmful emissions.
In future, it can be retrofitted with carbon capture technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or convert it into new materials.
The facility is designed to handle various waste streams, including municipal solid waste, industrial and commercial waste, and refuse-derived fuels. It will operate 24/7 once operational.
Energy efficiency and maximum electricity production are supported by a powerful steam turbine plant featuring an Air Cooled Condenser (ACC). Additionally, there is potential for future heat offtake to connect the site to local district heating.
Contractors Involved
Sustainable engineering and design solutions provider AFRY, in co-operation with AFRY Solutions UK Ltd and AFRY Finland Oy, is serving as the engineering, procurement and construction management consultant (EPCM) to the South Clyde Energy Centre project. The scope of services range from site supervision throughout the construction and start-up of the project.
Kanadevia Inova Steinmüller was selected to deliver the boiler plant for the project, while Luehr Filter is responsible for delivering the flue gas cleaning plant.
In July 2022, Hitachi Zosen Inova Steinmüller, part of the Hitachi Zosen Inova Group (HZI) won the contract to design, build and commission the grate and boiler for the new thermal waste treatment facility.
Doosan Škoda Power, which manufactures and supplies equipment for power stations, will deliver steam Turbine and ACC plant.
The waste grab crane will be delivered by Konecranes, and PJ Carey (Contractors) is in charge of concrete works for the EfW plant.
Skanska’s piling and ground engineering business Cementation Skanska is responsible for piling works, the company’s largest project in Scotland. As part of the contract, it is designing and constructing the deep foundations for the facility.
Benefits of EfW facility
The development of South Clyde Energy Centre will prevent approximately 350,000 tonnes of residual waste going to landfill or being exported outside of the UK each year. This is aligned with the Scottish Government’s landfill ban that will become effective in 2025.
During construction, it will support approximately 500 jobs in addition to supply chain opportunities for local businesses. Around 40 permanent jobs will be created during the operational phase.
