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Energy from Waste
R1 Status - the why, how and where?
The R1 Energy Efficiency Formula
The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) provides a hierarchy which prioritises waste prevention followed by preparing for reuse, recycling, recovery and finally, least favourably, disposal. Energy From Waste (EfW) plants can be classified as either Recovery or Disposal operations.
The ESA has committed to driving higher standards across the Waste and Recycling sector. For EfW plants, achieving Recovery status (known as R1) is an efficient way to increase standards across the industry. The ESA continues to work and support its members to work towards all operational UK EfW facilities being formally recognised by Regulators as Recovery operations where possible.
To increase transparency in the industry the ESA has worked with Tolvik Consulting to create this document which outlines the R1 status of UK EfW facilities.
Definitions
The Waste Framework Directive (WFD) Article 3 makes the following definitions:
- 'Recovery' means any operation the principal result of which is waste serving a useful purpose by replacing other materials which would otherwise have been used to fulfil a particular function, or waste being prepared to fulfil that function, in the plant or in the wider economy.
- 'Disposal' means any operation which is not recovery even where the operation has as a secondary consequence the reclamation of substances or energy.
The Revised WFD specifies that Energy from Waste plants dedicated to the processing of municipal solid waste can be classified as Recovery (R1) only where their energy efficiency is equal to or above either 0.60 (for installations in operation 1st January 2009) or 0.65 (for installations permitted after 31st December 2008).
To qualify as an R1 recovery operation an Energy from Waste plant must:
- have or will have an environmental permit for a waste incineration installation;
- be capable of incinerating mixed municipal solid waste, including refuse derived fuel or solid recovered fuel;
- not be a co-incinerator.
Application
Application details can be found on the .Gov website. It is important that the formula is applied to the correct parts of the EfW process and that the 'system boundaries' are set correctly.
The list of installations below is the current schedule of R1 (design or operational status) Energy from Waste plants that are operational in the UK as of April 2021. The ESA will update this list to reflect any changes.
Table 1: EfW Facilities that have achieved R1 status.
| Installation Name | Operator | R1 value* |
|---|---|---|
|
Avonmouth Energy Recovery Facility
|
Viridor
|
0.82
|
| Allington | FCC | 0.67 |
|
Allerton Waste Recovery Park
|
AmeyCespa
|
0.81
|
|
Ardley Energy from Waste Facility
|
Viridor
|
0.71
|
|
Battlefield Energy from Waste Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.67
|
|
Beddington Energy Recovery Facility
|
Viridor
|
0.69
|
|
Cardiff Energy from Waste Facility
|
Viridor
|
0.79
|
|
Cornwall Energy Recovery Centre
|
SUEZ
|
0.77
|
|
Devonport Energy from Waste CHP
|
MVV
|
0.87
|
|
Dunbar Energy Recovery Facility
|
Viridor
|
0.72
|
|
Parc Adfer Energy Recovery Facility
|
enfinium
|
0.69
|
|
Ferrybridge MFE2 Limited
|
enfinium
|
0.85
|
|
Ferrybridge Multifuel Facility
|
enfinium
|
0.85
|
|
Four Ashes Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.71
|
|
Full Circle Generation Ltd
|
Full Circle Generation Ltd
|
0.74
|
|
Greatmoor EFW Facility
|
FCC
|
0.84
|
|
Hartlebury EfW
|
Severn Waste Services Limited
|
0.77
|
|
Integra North Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.66
|
|
Integra South East Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.61
|
|
Integra South West Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.71
|
|
Javelin Park Energy recovery Facility
|
Urbaser Ltd
|
0.71
|
|
Kemsley Generating Station
|
enfinium
|
1.03
|
|
Kirklees EFW
|
SUEZ
|
0.65
|
|
Lakeside EfW Facility
|
Lakeside Energy From Waste Limited
|
0.68
|
|
Leeds Recycling and Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.77
|
|
Lincolnshire EfW Facility
|
FCC
|
0.84
|
|
Newhaven Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.67
|
|
Peterborough Energy From Waste Facility
|
Viridor
|
0.85
|
|
Riverside Resource Recovery Facility
|
Cory
|
0.76
|
|
Runcorn EFW; Lines 1&2, 3&4
|
Viridor
|
1.02, 0.85
|
|
Severnside energy Recovery Centre
|
SUEZ
|
0.88
|
|
Sheffield Energy Recovery Facility
|
Veolia
|
0.78
|
|
South East London Combined Heat & Power
|
Veolia
|
0.66
|
|
SUEZ Suffolk Energy from Waste Facility
|
SUEZ
|
0.81
|
|
Tees Valley; Lines 1&2, 3, 4&5
|
SUEZ
|
0.70, 0.62, 0.77
|
|
Tyesley Energy from Waste Plant
|
Veolia
|
0.64
|
|
Wilton 11 EfW
|
SUEZ
|
0.77
|
*= 3 year average (or Design)
Table 2: EfW facilities that have not achieved R1 status.
| Installation Name | Operator | R1 / Comments |
|---|---|---|
|
Coventry
|
CSWDC
|
|
|
Dudley
|
MESE
|
|
|
Bolton
|
Suez
|
In repair and refurbishment
|
|
NewLincs
|
NewLincs
|
|
|
Edmonton
|
LondonEnergy
|
|
|
Eastcroft
|
FCC
|
|
|
Gremista
|
Gremista
|
|
|
Baldovie
|
MVV
|
|
|
Hanford
|
MESE
|
|
|
Lancing
|
Enviropower
|
|
|
Wolverhampton
|
MESE
|
|
|
Exeter
|
Viridor
|
|
|
Glasgow
|
Viridor
|
|
|
Milton Keynes ACT
|
Amey
|
|
|
Millerhill EfW
|
FCC
|
Expecting to achieve R1 status in late 2022
|
|
Energy Works ACT
|
BIG
|
|
|
Levenseat ACT
|
Levenseat
|
|
|
Baddersley
|
Equitix
|
|
|
Rookery South
|
Covanta
|
To apply summer 2022
|
A downloadable copy of this document can be found below:
 |
This schedule has been prepared for the Environmental Services Association (ESA) by Tolvik Consulting Ltd from information provided by Regulators and plant operators. Please feedback any updates, errors, or omissions to www.tolvik.com.
