NORTH LONDON WASTE AUTHORITY NORTH LONDON HEAT AND POWER PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ASSESSMENT REPORT The Planning Act 2008 The Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedure) Regulations 2009 Regulation 5 (2) (q) AD05.03 NLWA Revision 0 October 2015 North London Waste Authority North London Heat and Power Project Alternative Assessment Report Contents Page Executive summary 1 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Purpose of this Report 3 1.3 Structure of this Report 3 1.4 The Applicant 4 1.5 The Application Site 4 1.6 Surrounding area 5 1.7 The Project 6 1.8 Stages of development 6 2 Legislative and Policy Requirements 8 2.1 Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (NPS EN-1) 8 2.2 National Policy Statement of Renewable Energy Infrastructure (EN-3) 9 3 Strategic development of the Project 10 3.1 Relevant history of the Application and Edmonton EcoPark 10 3.2 Procurement strategy – further detail 12 4 Summary and conclusions of assessments 13 4.1 Introduction 13 4.2 Approach to technology assessment 13 4.3 Technology options 14 4.4 Technology conclusion 15 4.5 Approach to site assessment 16 4.6 Site criteria for the Project 16 4.7 Site conclusions 17 4.8 The Temporary Laydown Area 18 4.9 Edmonton Sea Cadets 19 4.10 The Project 21 AD05.03 | Issue | October 2015 | NLWA North London Waste Authority North London Heat and Power Project Alternative Assessment Report Appendices Appendix A : Chronology of assessments A.1 Appendix B : Review of thermal treatment options B.1 Appendix C : Design of plant: number of plant lines C.1 Appendix D : Flue Gas Treatment plant options D.1 Appendix E : Cooling plant technology options E.1 E1 OBC technical options appraisal by AEA E.1 E1.1 Introduction E.1 E1.2 Assessment of technologies - by AEA E.1 Appendix F : Technology longlist (OBC) F.1 Glossary See Project Glossary (AD01.05) AD05.03 | Issue | October 2015 | NLWA North London Waste Authority North London Heat and Power Project Alternative Assessment Report Executive summary i.i.i This report sets out the process by which North London Waste Authority (the Applicant) determined its requirements for future residual waste management, leading to the decision to apply for a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the proposed Energy Recovery Facility (ERF), which forms part of the North London Heat and Power Project (the Project). The report summarises the alternatives that have been considered by the Applicant, in particular the technology and site options, to determine the most appropriate scheme. i.i.ii The strategic basis for the Applicant’s decisions is the Joint Waste Management Strategy which covers the period 2004 to 2020. This strategy contains objectives and targets which set out the need to reduce the amount of waste sent from the north London area to landfill, and targets for increasing recycling in the area to 50 per cent by 2020. The strategy is broadly neutral as to the technological solution to be implemented to achieve these aims and process the residual waste; however, it acknowledges that the use of heat from waste is supported by regional policies. i.i.iii The report sets out the policy framework applicable to the consideration of alternative technology and site options. Alternative technology and site options are also considered in the following reports which are submitted with the DCO Application: a. Environmental Statement (AD06.02) which summarises the site selection process and the site layouts considered; b. Combined Heat and Power Strategy (AD05.06) which sets out potential connections to heat networks and potential future demand, and a heat supply and demand assessment; and c. Grid Connection Statement (AD05.08) which demonstrates the feasibility and proposed approach to grid connection upgrade works to support the proposed increase in electrical export capacity, while maintaining necessary levels of connection resilience. i.i.iv The assessments considered in this report were carried out in preparation for a procurement for contracts for future waste management services, including replacement waste management facilities starting in 2008, and were updated in 2013 and 2014. The assessments cover the areas of technology solution and site selection. The applicant considers that the assessments remain valid for the purposes of the DCO Application. i.i.v The technology solution forming the basis of the Project reflects the technical assessments carried out and the changes in relevant planning policy during the period of assessments. The selection of thermal technology with advanced moving grate is supported by the technological assessments carried out and, following developments in regional and local planning policy during 2013, is consistent with planning policy. i.i.vi The site selection was based on site availability and suitability. The Edmonton EcoPark meets the criteria for a suitable site for waste management for north London, in particular as it is available to the Applicant Page 1 AD05.03 | Issue | October 2015 | NLWA North London Waste Authority North London Heat and Power Project Alternative Assessment Report for use for waste management purposes, and is of sufficient size to accommodate new facilities while ensuring continuity of waste treatment during the period of construction of new facilities. Page 2 AD05.03 | Issue | October 2015 | NLWA North London Waste Authority North London Heat and Power Project Alternative Assessment Report 1 Introduction 1.1 Introduction 1.1.1 This Alternatives Assessment Report has been prepared to support North London Waste Authority’s (the Applicant’s) application (the Application) to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for a Development Consent Order (DCO) made pursuant to the Planning Act 2008 (as amended). 1.1.2 The Application is for the North London Heat and Power Project (the Project) comprising the construction, operation and maintenance of an Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) capable of an electrical output of around 70 megawatts (MWe) at the Edmonton EcoPark in north London with associated development, including a Resource Recovery Facility (RRF). The proposed ERF would replace the existing Energy from Waste (EfW) facility at the Edmonton EcoPark. 1.1.3 The Project is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project for the purposes of Section 14(1)(a) and section 15 in Part 3 of the Planning Act 2008 (as amended) because it involves the construction of a generating station that would have a capacity of more than 50MWe. 1.2 Purpose of this Report 1.2.1 This Report has been prepared to summarise the alternatives that have been considered by the Applicant, in particular the technology and site options, to determine the most appropriate scheme. 1.2.2 This Assessment forms part of a suite of documents accompanying the Application submitted in accordance with the requirements set out in section 55 of the Planning Act and Regulations 5, 6 and 7 of the Infrastructure Planning (Applications: Prescribed Forms and Procedures) Regulations 2009 (APFP Regulations 2009), and should be read alongside those documents (see Project Navigation Document AD01.02). 1.3 Structure of this Report 1.3.1 The report is structured as follows: a. Section 1: Introduction: describes the background to the Project and the Application Site; b. Section 2: Legislative and policy requirements: summarises applicable national, regional and local polices; c. Section 3: Strategic development of the Project; summarises the historic and strategic development of technology and site options for delivering a waste disposal solution; and d. Section 4: Summary and conclusions of assessments: sets out the technology and site options that have been considered by the Applicant for delivering a waste disposal solution. Page 3 AD05.03 | Issue | October 2015 | NLWA North London Waste Authority North London Heat and Power Project Alternative Assessment Report 1.4 The Applicant 1.4.1 Established in 1986, the Applicant is a statutory authority whose principal responsibility is the disposal of waste collected by the seven north London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest (the Constituent Boroughs). 1.4.2 The Applicant is the UK’s second largest waste disposal authority, handling approximately 3 per cent of the total national Local Authority Collected Waste (LACW) stream. Since 1994 the Applicant has managed its waste arisings predominantly through its waste management contract with LondonWaste Limited (LWL) and the use of the EfW facility at the existing Edmonton EcoPark and landfill outside of London. 1.5 The Application Site 1.5.1 The Application Site, as shown on the Site Location Plans (A_0001 and A_0002 in the Book of Plans (AD02.01)), extends to approximately 22 hectares and is located wholly within the London Borough of Enfield (LB Enfield). The Application Site comprises the existing waste management site known as the Edmonton EcoPark where the permanent facilities would be located, part of Ardra Road, land around the existing water pumping station at Ardra Road, Deephams Farm Road, part of Lee Park Way and land to the west of the River Lee Navigation, and land to the north of Advent Way and east of the River Lee Navigation (part of which would form the Temporary Laydown Area and new Lee Park Way access road). The post code for the Edmonton EcoPark is N18 3AG and the grid reference is TQ 35750 92860. 1.5.2 The Application Site includes all land required to deliver the Project. This includes land that would be required temporarily to facilitate the development. 1.5.3 Both the Application Site and the Edmonton EcoPark (existing and proposed) are shown on Plan A_0003 and A_0004 contained within the Book of Plans (AD02.01). Throughout this report references to the Application Site refer to the proposed extent of the Project works, and Edmonton EcoPark refers to the operational site.