Work is set to start on a new combined heat and power plant in Kent that will convert household waste into steam and electricity.

The project’s developer, Wheelabrator Technologies, has now reached an agreement with all parties and construction is due to start this month.

Clugston is civils contractor for the Kemsley plant, CNIM is principal contractor and Arup is lead building designer. Arup will provide civil, structural and geotechnical engineering, in addition to reviewing mechanical, electrical and plumbing building services.

The new £340m facility will divert 550,000t of waste a year from Kent and the South East of England. The waste would otherwise have been sent to landfill sites or have been exported to Europe for treatment. The facility has also been designed to provide steam for a neighbouring papermill and will generate 43MW of electricity at full capacity. 

“As an industry we are increasingly acknowledging how valuable waste is as a resource for generating energy, but also the treatment of waste through an Energy from Waste plant reduces greenhouse gas emissions,” said Arup associate director and energy and waste buildings business leader Ben Glover. “Facilities like these are shining examples of how great engineering can produce both environmental and economic benefits.”

The Wheelabrator Kemsley facility is scheduled to begin operations in 2019.