The Slough Multifuel Project is an operational energy-from-waste generation plant located in Berkshire in the UK.
The project was developed by the joint venture partners- SSE Thermal (50%) and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) (50%), through its fund Copenhagen Infrastructure IV (CI IV).
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The construction of the facility commenced in May 2021. It commenced commercial operations in August 2024 ahead of schedule.
Slough Multifuel will use waste such as municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste and waste wood to generate electricity and heat.
The project will have a capacity of up to 60MW supporting the UK Government’s plan to reduce landfill and waste export.
Slough Multifuel Location
Slough Multifuel is located within the Slough Trading Estate in the Greater London area in the UK. The site is west of the Heathrow Airport.
The site of the project forms part of the Slough Heat and Power Plant site. It was acquired by SSE in 2008 and includes an area of approximately 2.8 hectares (ha).
Background
In January 2008, SSE acquired the Slough Heat and Power Plant. The company commenced decommissioning and demolition of the power plant in August 2018 to develop the Slough Multifuel project.
A section of the power plant remains operational to supply energy, water, and heat to local customers.
SSE Thermal signed an agreement with CIP in April 2020 to jointly develop the multifuel plant. Enabling works were completed at the site by the end of 2020.
This was followed by the start of construction in May 2021.
In February 2024, the facility achieved several milestones including the delivery of first fuel and maiden steam blow. The energy-from-waste facility first fired the turbine in the following month.
The project started operations ahead of the schedule in August 2024.
Initially, Slough Multifuel secured planning permission from Slough Borough Council in May 2017 for a facility with a capacity of up to 50MW.
Later, an application for the extension of the electricity generating station from up to 50MW to up to 60 MW gross was submitted.
In November 2023, the Slough Multifuel Extension Project received development consent from the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
SSE Thermal and CIP invested around £400m for the development of the project.
Slough Multifuel Project Details
The construction of the Slough Multifuel Project was completed in less than three and a half years.
The plant will produce low carbon electricity and heat by using waste derived fuels (WDF).
WDF will be produced offsite by using different sources of non-hazardous processed municipal solid waste (MSW), commercial and industrial (C&I) waste and waste wood, and then transported to the site goods vehicles.
The development comprises an enclosed tipping hall and fuel bunker, furnaces to combust the WDF and boiler unit(s) to raise steam. There is a turbine hall with a steam turbine to generate electricity.
The flue gas treatment (FGT) plants at the site clean the flue gas before releasing the air through a new 90m high stack.
Slough Multifuel is capable of processing approximately 480,000 tonnes of waste-derived fuels annually. Around 50MW of power generated by the plant can meet annual energy requirements of 18,000 homes.
The facility will also export heat to the existing Slough Trading Estate heat network. Electricity generated by the plant will be fed into the National Grid.
Slough Multifuel Extension Infrastructure
The extension of the waste-to-energy project involves using additional or different technology and few external works.
It included a boiler primary air preheating system, a boiler secondary air preheating system, and certain mechanical modifications.
The boiler primary and secondary air preheating systems comprise heat exchange bundles, pipework, valves, pipe supports, thermal insulation, instrumentation, cabling, and containment.
The actuated stream turbine inlet control valve was also modified to increase steam capacity.
Contractors Involved
The construction contract for Slough Multifuel was awarded to Swiss energy-from-waste specialist Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI) in April 2020. HZI also won a contract to deliver operations and maintenance at Slough Multifuel for 25 years.
Collard was selected as one of the principal partners by the joint venture in March 2024. Collard sort, segregate, recover, and process waste.
Grundon Waste Management would supply 100,000 tonnes of processed waste to the plant annually from its Colnbrook processing line.
Powertherm Contract Services (PCS) delivered industrial insulation and trace heating services for the energy-from-waste plant.
Careys served as one of the contractors and it was involved with Slipform waste bunker construction and other works.
London Concrete assisted Careys and GB Slipform with concrete supplies.
The architectural services for the plant were provided by Weedon Architects. The civil enabling works for the development of the project were carried out by Elysium Construction.
HZI selected MAC Group of Companies for the installation key systems such as specialist architectural aluminium feature bands, 8,000m2 of polymeric single-ply waterproofing, and 19,000m2 of composite claddin.
Transportation and logistical support services provider Allelys provided transport solutions for Slough Multifuel Expansion project. Valmet won an automation supply contract related to the Slough Multifuel project.
The environmental statement of the extension project was prepared by AECOM.
Offtake Agreement
In September 2021, energy trading and supply company Axpo UK signed a long-term flexible Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SSE Thermal and CIP with Axpo UK.
Under the agreement, Axpo will purchase 100% of the power exported by the Slough Multifuel plant through its commissioning period and subsequently for a period of 15 years.
