Energos says the government’s decision to reverse proposed changes to the Renewables Obligation Certificate (ROC) support for Advanced Conversion Technologies (ACT) under its recent review will unlock much needed new generation infrastructure, including its own £450 million investment pipeline, and has praised the Coalition for listening to industry.
“This is a victory for common sense”, said Nick Dawber, Managing Director of UK-based Energos. “By maintaining maximum support for all ACTs at 2 ROCs/MWh both for new accreditations and existing schemes, the government will help innovative businesses like Energos to bring to market best in class technologies. This will create an important renewable energy source while diverting non-recyclable residual waste from landfill.”
Drive efficiency
Nick continued: “The government has recognised that its comparisons of the efficiency of ACTs was not on a like-for- like basis and that steam cycle facilities, such as those developed by Energos, have merit. Indeed, the ROC market will itself drive efficiency upwards, which is what government seeks.”
Energos opened the UK’s first full scale gasification ACT plant to operate on household waste on the Isle of Wight in 2007. This was the first waste fuelled gasification or pyrolysis plant operator in the UK to qualify for ROCs in October 2010.
The company is receiving maximum double ROCs for the electricity generated from the renewable portion of the residual household waste (typically around 50%).
Dawber added: “This decision provides investment certainty and gives the green light to our six ‘shovel-ready’ projects, valued at £450 million and capable of diverting 650,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from landfill. The government has also signalled that combined heat and power (CHP) enabled plants such as ours may be eligible for additional support under the Renewable Heat Incentive.”