Wheelabrator Reaches Financial Close on U.K. WTE Facility

Wheelabrator Technologies has reached financial close on the 744,000 tons per year (675,000 tonnes per year) Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 energy-from-waste facility in West Yorkshire, U.K., the second project in a Multifuel Energy Ltd. (MEL) partnership with SSE.

“This financial close is another major milestone for our 50:50 joint venture partnership with SSE to build and operate new energy-from-waste projects,” Wheelabrator President and CEO Robert Boucher said in a statement. “We look forward to a long-term partnership with SSE and remain committed to investing in new long-term waste infrastructure across the U.K., providing local and regional solutions to waste management and clean energy generation.”

Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 is an energy-from-waste facility that will generate approximately 70 MW (net) of electricity to power U.K. homes and business. The first project in the MEL partnership, Ferrybridge Multifuel 1, a 744,000 tons per year (675,000 tonnes per year) energy-from-waste facility co-located in West Yorkshire, has been operational since 2015.

Progress to reach financial close on Wheelabrator’s £207 million ($273.2 million) share of the Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 construction project follows the award of planning consent by the Secretary of State in October 2015 with an environmental permit being granted by the Environment Agency one month later. Fuel for the Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 facility will be supplied by a number of major waste management companies through long-term fixed price contracts.

Construction on Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 commenced in August 2016 and plant operations are expected to begin in in the third quarter of 2019. Now, one year into its three-year construction phase, the facility is creating hundreds of additional jobs in the local area and dozens of local supply chain opportunities. Once operational, the facility is expected to create 47 new, full-time operational roles.

“Following the successful working partnership between SSE and Wheelabrator Technologies on the Ferrybridge Multifuel 1 project, we welcome the opportunity to continue the partnership and complete construction of the Ferrybridge Multifuel 2 project, which has progressed well over the past 12 months,” SSE’s Director of Business Development Sandy Honeyman said in a statement.