Northern Ireland’s first large scale Energy from Waste facility has commenced construction in Belfast’s Harbour Estate. The Full Circle Generation facility will see the waste industry change immensely as it gains a critical piece of infrastructure which is capable of recovering energy.

Creating up to 250 jobs during construction with an additional 20 employees during operational stage, the 14.85 MW Energy will provide Bombardier’s wing facility with a predictive energy source. It will have the capacity to process up to 180,000mt of feedstock derived from household waste and it is anticipated that the facility will be completed and operational by late 2017.

Picture: First Minister Arlene Foster and Junior Minister Jennifer McCann pictured during a site visit with Nick Parker, Chief Operating officer, Equitix; Shaun Kingsbury, Chief Executive, UK Green Investment Bank; Brett Ross, Managing Director, RiverRidge Recycling and Mark White, Partner, P3P Partners

Full Circle Generation Director and Managing Director of RiverRidge Recycling and RiverRidge Energy, Mr Brett Ross, commented; “This is a significant day for the waste management sector and renewable energy sector alike. The construction of the Full Circle Generation Waste to Energy facility will allow the industry to gain access to a piece of crucial infrastructure which until now had required waste management operators to export waste derived fuels and consequently energy to other territories.”

The announcement was welcomed by both the First Minister and Junior Minister McCann.

First Minister, Arlene Foster MLA said: “The First Circle Generation plant will be Northern Ireland’s first large Energy from Waste plant and this is an important day as we see construction begin. The jobs generated during the construction and operation stages of this project are welcome news.

“When complete, the Plant will address Bombardier’s energy needs by supplying heating and electricity to their factories and offices in their Queen’s Island site. This will help the company retain their global competitive edge by keeping running costs as low as possible.

“The Plant will also provide a necessary solution for the waste management sector and a source of renewable energy and is, without doubt,  a vital piece of infrastructure for Northern Ireland.”

Junior Minister Jennifer McCann said, “I am pleased to be here today to see the start of the construction of this £107 million project which will create 250 construction jobs and 20 full time jobs.

“This plant will be one of the largest non-wind renewable projects in the North to date and represents a major strategic investment in this technology. Energy is a vital resource and I’m delighted to see the first large scale Energy from Waste Facility in Belfast in construction. This piece of infrastructure will provide a world class facility capable of recovering energy from waste in an environmentally sensitive and acceptable manner.”

UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) has been instrumental in developing this project, having committed £47m to the facility.

Shaun Kingsbury, Chief Executive of the UK Green Investment Bank, added; “It is great to be in Belfast today to see construction commence on a piece of infrastructure that is very important to Northern Ireland’s green infrastructure network. This will be a world class Energy from Waste Facility capable of recovering much needed renewable energy, diverting waste from landfill and providing a meaningful predictive energy source for Bombardier.”

Full Circle Generation Limited is made up of a consortium of equity investors which includes RiverRidge Energy Limited, GIB, Equitix and P3P Partners.

The French construction group Bouygues Energies and Services has been appointed by Full Circle Generation and is responsible for the design, build and operation of the facility which incorporates the use of gasification technology.

Brett Ross concluded; “Today sees a landmark stage for the waste management sector as this large scale Energy from Waste Facility takes shape. Finally, Northern Ireland has a facility that can assist Local Authorities in ensuring their annual landfill diversion targets are met through to 2020.”