Does the UK government even want EfW plants?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Pausing incineration permits for several months and including Energy from Waste (EfW) plants in the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), all within the first 6 months of the year ... does the UK government even want EfW plants in this country?

Although EfW plants contribute a significant percentage of the UK’s energy generation to the grid on an annual basis; reduce reliance on landfill, contribute crucially to widespread waste management & waste treatment efforts, and also provide a meaningful way to recycle local waste, multiple moves from the UK government have been made recently that have served to deter investors, developers and contractors from backing Energy from Waste plants in the UK.

And, yes, one may be able to argue that the pause on incineration permits was only temporary and lasted 7 weeks, and the move to include EfWs in ETS is primarily about capping carbon emissions, but it does show a serious lack of confidence in EfWs, alongside a lack of desire to incentivise the development of future plants.

This, whilst the UK government is publicly waxing lyrical about the importance of renewable energy in reaching impending Net Zero goals which, whether you are of the opinion that waste to energy solutions are strictly part of the renewable energy industry or not, feels counterproductive to low and no carbon initiatives, including the drive to reuse and recycle waste.

On top of this, the renewable sector is still suffering heavily from permitting delays with the Environmental Agency, especially where bespoke permits are concerned which - given some of these delays have dragged on for several months - are inevitably costing developers inordinate amounts of money; putting developers and their contractors in the midst of building current EfW projects in difficult positions as they’re stuck waiting for permits, some of which were applied for last year.

Alongside this, let’s not forget that just last year, the fragility of the National Grid led to a huge backlog of renewable energy projects waiting to connect - some of which were given a connection date 10 years in the future - meaning that, new projects ready to connect and pump gas & electric into UK homes and businesses are, again, sat waiting and unused.

Of course, this affects all manner of EfW & renewable energy plants, including anaerobic digestion plants, and sewage treatment and wastewater treatment plants, all of which benefit, not only the UK as a whole, but also Local Authorities and the local communities they serve; treating and recycling local waste and using that waste to create & supply energy to local homes & businesses.

Essentially, it feels as if, although the government says they support and incentivise renewable energy projects, the last couple of years have been full of challenges, hurdles and frustrations standing in the way of projects actually being funded, built and successfully connected to the grid. And now, if EfWs are successfully connected and become operational, they’re subject to specialised permit delays and mounting operational costs which will inevitably lead to a lack of confidence in the viability of future projects.

If the UK is to successfully ramp up renewable energy generation and consequent adoption, waste recycling, treatment and management - including Energy from Waste plants - need to be accounted for and incentivised.