UK Hospital To Be Powered By Rubbish                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Royal Stoke University Hospital could be ‘powered by rubbish’ as plans form for a new incinerator. The news comes after an announcement on 10th May that proposals are being drawn up to enable Royal Stoke to receive both heat and electricity from a planned Energy Recovery Facility at Hanford, replacing the existing incinerator by 2030.

An interesting move from University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM), which runs the hospital, bosses hope that the new replacement Energy Recovery Facility will save the hospital from spiking global energy prices as well as reducing carbon emissions.

What’s more, a recent council report claims that the replacement Energy Recovery Facility actually has the potential to generate approximately 320GWh of electricity and 400GWh of heat, which could meet all the council's needs and generate £50m annually in commercial sales.

The Value of Energy Recovery Facilities

Diverting waste from landfill: Energy Recovery Facilities (ERFs) are crucial to supporting the UK’s efforts to reduce waste and decrease pressure on landfill - diverting waste from landfill sites to be re-used and recycled, repurposed as heat & power.

Supporting greater energy security: ERFs contribute to the circular economy whilst also making a valuable contribution to the UK’s electricity supply which, in turn, supports the UK’s ongoing quest for greater energy security.

Reducing emissions: by diverting waste away from landfill, ERFs also help to reduce carbon emissions and greenhouse gases, also actively reducing the UK’s reliance on fossil fuels.

Contributing to the energy mix: alongside this, ERFs contribute to a mix of renewable and sustainable energy sources currently in the National Grid, complementing other renewable technologies and providing another way to reuse and repurpose waste.

Energy Recovery Stats, UK

Total Waste Processed: In 2024, UK ERFs processed approximately 16.82 million tonnes of waste, marking a 4.3% increase from the previous year.

Operational Capacity: There are 63 operational ERFs here in the UK that had a combined permitted capacity of 19.31 million tonnes per annum, operating at an impressive 88.6% capacity.

Power Generation: These facilities exported an estimated 10,040 GWh of electricity to the grid in 2024, accounting for about 3.6% of the UK's total net power generation.

Heat Export: Heat exports reached a record 1,949 GWh, a 10% increase from 2023, contributing to district heating networks.

Ash Recovery: Approximately 99% of the 3.2 million tonnes of incinerator bottom ash produced were sent for recovery, with 41.3% of the 515,000 tonnes of Air Pollution Control residues also being recovered.

Total Market Size: The UK waste-to-energy sector is projected to generate approximately £1.9 billion in revenue for the 2024–2025 period, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.8% over the past five years.

The Future of ERFs In The UK

ERFs in the UK are not only pivotal in waste management but also play a crucial role in the nation's energy generation, contributing significantly to both the economy and environmental sustainability.

However, recent years have seen the UK government and, certainly, the media, near-demonise the waste-to-energy sector in a number of different ways, leading to a slow down of new plants and plans, and a sector-wide call for more public awareness around the many benefits of waste-to-energy facilities.

The impending new ERF at Royal Stoke University Hospital - although not widely reported on, with only one small article appearing on BBC Stoke & Stafford’s website - could mark a promising ‘re-branding’ for a valuable and, indeed, vital sector in need of a boost.