Households in Walsall could be powered by waste treated at a new energy-from-waste (EfW) plant set to be built following an offer of support from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
The Walsall EfW facility, located at Fryers Road, aims to export heat to homes in the form of steam or hot water from 2027 once it is constructed. The WMCA says up to 450 jobs will be contracted during the construction phase of the plant and 50 direct jobs once it is fully operational.
The facility will replace the region’s ageing fleet of incinerators, which are due to be retired over the coming years, the WMCA says. Waste collected to power the plant will come from a range of local and regional waste management companies.
The plant will be built by energy recovery company Encyclis on eight acres of derelict land. The plant’s developer will build, own, and operate the EfW facility. The WMCA says the plant will process 436,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste every year into 49 megawatts of electricity.
This plant underlines our burgeoning practical environmental credentials.
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said: “This important initiative will power homes here in Walsall at the same time as helping us to maintain our #WM2041 net zero commitment. The Fryers Road site being brought forward by Encyclis is an innovative example of how we can turn waste into energy.
“This plant underlines our burgeoning practical environmental credentials. Whether we’re retrofitting homes to ensure they’re more energy efficient, cutting energy bills for local businesses or making our transport network more sustainable, the West Midlands is leading the way when it comes to the Green Industrial Revolution.”
