The Welsh Government Minister for Economy, Science and Transport, Edwina Hart today launched work on the Materials Recycling Facility that represents Phase 1 of the Enviroparks Wales £100m plus energy from waste facility on a 20 acre site in Hirwaun, at the head of the South Wales Valleys.

Enviroparks is a Welsh company and the only operator in the country to receive UK government backing via a £150m, 15 year renewable energy subsidy to produce green electricity from the advanced thermal treatment of waste. This energy will be used to power the bespoke Hirwaun industrial site with spare capacity green electricity sold to the electricity market.

Swansea based international firm Dawnus Construction has been contracted to build the recycling facility, the first phase of this multi-phase project based around green energy, which will create some 200 jobs during construction, and around the same number of jobs in the long term.

Economy Minister Edwina Hart said: “Energy is one of our priority economic sectors with high growth potential and in particular there are significant renewable energy opportunities in Wales. This Enviroparks development has the potential to create hundreds of jobs as well as contribute to our long term energy security, whilst supporting our recycling efforts. I am very pleased to see this project go ahead with Welsh Government support, as it will contribute to our objective for Wales to become a world leader in green energy.”

Enviroparks’ managing director David Williams said: “It’s taken us a while to get to this point in a challenging financial market but we now have the key partnerships to commence the development and get underway in Hirwaun. We are so pleased to have a fellow Welsh company Dawnus on board as our construction partner, and we are having ongoing discussions with waste management companies to deliver waste to Enviroparks to be turned into energy. 

“The Welsh Government has been hugely supportive in our endeavours to create green energy and jobs in this part of the Valleys, and so we are delighted to welcome Mrs Hart to the site to get the project officially underway.”

Enviroparks has an environmental permit from Natural Resources Wales to build a materials recycling and fuel preparation facility and associated site infrastructure in Phase 1. Phase 2 will see the development of a gasification plant to produce electricity from the fuels produced on site by Phase 1. Phase 3 will focus on producing electricity from organic wastes via the Anaerobic Digestion facility. A key part of the Enviroparks concept is the co-location of a ‘high energy user’ who will occupy the 10,000 square meter industrial unit planned for the northern half of the site. Discussions to secure an appropriate occupier are underway with the additional economic benefit this is expected to deliver.

Along with the Welsh Government, Enviroparks is also working with Zeus Renewables, expert financiers in the renewable energy sector, consulting engineers Pell Frischmann, consultants ChandlerKBS, and specialist property asset managers Best International.

Andy Currie, Director at Zeus Renewables, said: “We’ve been focusing on development opportunities within the renewable energy sector in recent months, and in Enviroparks we saw a great project in South Wales. Zeus’ sector experience will allow us to support the strong local management team and build on the recent positives of receiving the Contract for Difference and breaking ground on the recycling facility. “This represents just the beginning of the development, with the construction of the anaerobic digestion and advanced conversion technology phases anticipated to begin in the next 12 months. It’s an extremely exciting time, as once all works are complete, Hirwaun will be home to a state of the art waste management facility.”

Once the plant is operational, non-hazardous domestic and commercial (shops, small businesses etc.) waste will come on site before dangerous items, such as gas bottles, are removed. The waste is then shredded and sorted according to size, and metals and plastics are removed. What remains is a Refuse Derived Fuel, which will be used to generate electricity.

Dawnus’ Regional Manager Lee Davies said: “We are delighted to play our part in such a prestigious Welsh project. I love the innovation in the concept for the facility and I see this as the start of a long and successful relationship between Dawnus and Enviroparks. Since our involvement I have been part of a large team of people who have put in so much hard work to overcome an endless series of challenges to get to this point. So unsurprisingly we are delighted to have got over the final hurdle and Phase 1 of this great project can finally get on to site for construction. As a Welsh company who employ staff, direct labour and plant from the local area, I can genuinely say that this project will help ensure the security of those jobs within Dawnus and will also create new employment and opportunities for our supply chain within the local area over the coming year and beyond as future phases progress.”

The Enviroparks development will provide significant economic benefits for the South Wales Valleys, creating a number of jobs while the site is being developed, and a similar number of full time jobs on completion. Inward investment into the region is expected to reach as much as £170m.

David Williams again: “As someone born in the Valleys and who grew up in the Brecon Beacons, this is a significant step forward in delivering green industry and jobs to the region. Now the building work has started, we welcome discussions with any operators seeking longer term price security for final disposal of wastes, or those who seek landfill diversion.”