Waste-to-energy operator Encyclis has reached a major operational milestone with the successful “first fire on waste” at its Protos Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Cheshire, marking the official start of hot commissioning.
The facility received its initial deliveries of over 2,500 tons of residual waste before igniting its boilers under live operational conditions.
Engineered and constructed by EPC partners METLEN and Standardkessel Baumgarte GmbH, the plant is designed to process up to 500,000 tons of non-recyclable municipal and commercial waste annually once fully operational.
The facility will generate 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 assembled a permanent staff of more than 45 skilled workers and four local apprentices to operate the Cheshire facility, with plans to expand the workforce as site infrastructure grows.
Groundbreaking HyNet Carbon Capture Integration Scheduled For 2029
The Protos ERF is set to become the UK’s first decarbonized Energy-from-Waste facility, with a dedicated carbon capture plant currently under construction on adjacent land.
Beginning in 2029, the carbon capture installation will intercept approximately 370,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually from the facility’s exhaust stream.
The captured carbon will be transported via pipeline for permanent offshore geological storage in Liverpool Bay as part of the regional HyNet North West carbon capture and storage (CCS) cluster.
Relevant: Evero Files Planning Proposal For UK’s First BECCS Plant
Encyclis Chief Executive Mark Burrows-Smith highlighted the dual role of the new facility in managing regional waste and driving industrial decarbonization.
“Achieving first fire on waste is an exciting milestone for Protos ERF,” Burrows-Smith stated. “This week’s news also takes us closer to delivering the UK’s first decarbonised Energy-from-Waste infrastructure, with construction of our groundbreaking carbon capture facility well underway.”
Read more: Encyclis Secures Green Light For Carbon Capture At Bedfordshire Site
