American global aerospace, defence and advanced technologies company Lockheed Martin has signed a teaming-up agreement with CoGen Limited to create a string of waste-to-energy projects throughout the UK.
Starting with a new plant in Cardiff, Wales, the first facility is set to convert waste into up to 15 megawatts (MW) of energy.
Enough to power approximately 15,000 homes and businesses in the local area, the plant is expected to process around 150,000 tonnes of waste per year.
As a result there will be a significant drop in material being sent to landfill sites as a result.
With production expected to start in 2018, CoGen will serve as the owner and developer of the project and Lockheed Martin will lead the engineering, procurement, manufacturing and construction of the plant.
The facility is to use Concord Blue’s Reformer® technology, which converts waste to energy through a process known as advanced gasification.
The technology can convert nearly any kind of organic gas into clean sustainable energy.
Frank Armijo, vice president of Lockheed Martin said:
This project will make a substantial contribution to Cardiff and will further showcase how bioenergy technologies can help reduce waste, decrease pollution and generate clean, renewable energy.
“We’re excited to team with CoGen, and we’re looking forward to other projects where we can help businesses, manufacturers and U.K. municipal and regional governments address their critical waste and energy challenges.”
Additionally, the two companies are to pursue similar projects and smaller scale opportunities to develop waste energy projects for both commercial and industrial businesses in the UK.
Ian Brooking, chief executive officer of CoGen Limited said:
CoGen is excited to be forming this partnership with Lockheed Martin and bringing the Concord Blue Reformer® technology to the U.K.
“Cardiff will be the first of a pipeline of projects that over the coming decade will see local, smaller-scale generation play a bigger part in delivering the U.K.’s energy requirements.”
For more information on waste to energy, check out our breakdown of it here.
