This newsletter has been prepared to keep you informed on our proposals to develop a currently disused site at Fryers Road, Walsall for a Resource Recovery & Renewables facility (the 3Rs).
Site history
The site has a long history of industrial activity including mining productive coal seams and metal processing. The site has also been subject to remediation and works to create a development platform.
The site currently has planning approval to build a waste recovery and combined heat and power plant with a capacity of 200,000 tonnes per year.
The site is identified in the adopted Black Country Core Strategy (February 2011) as a site for new strategic waste management infrastructure. It is located within a ‘Core Employment Area’ that is also part of an ‘Industrial Regeneration Area’ defined in the adopted Walsall Unitary Development Plan (UDP).
Working towards a better solution
BH EnergyGap builds success on its know-how in developing sites, planning, contracting, selecting state of the art technologies and waste management expertise.
These skills, together with the ability to secure funding, enables BH EnergyGap to deliver major projects in Recovering Waste, Powering Communities.
New proposals
Whilst there already is a planning permission, to enable the development of this site to be a workable and viable facility, a new planning application is needed and will be submitted shortly to Walsall Council.
There is a shortage of waste processing facilities in the region for commercial and industrial waste. BH EnergyGap’s proposal will provide the necessary infrastructure needed and will take commercial and industrial waste or similar waste types. It will sort and segregate materials such as metals, plastics and rubble and recover their value using the latest sorting technology such as magnets and eddy currents, near-infrared cameras and air jets. The residual materials will be used to produce energy using advanced thermal
treatment. The resulting gas will be used to produce electricity and potentially heat for export from the site. All activities will provide a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and primary materials.
The 3Rs facility will be constructed in accordance with the planning permission from Walsall Council and also have the required permits from the Environment Agency in place before start of operation.
Key facts
- Capacity to treat 200,000 tonnes per year (same as the current consent)
- Diversion from landfill of circa 90%
- Recovery of materials for recycling
- Generate circa 17.5 Megawatts of electricity, enough to provide heat, light and power for more than 26,000 homes
- Site staff circa 40 permanent jobs
- The potential for local heat and power users – to express interest please come along to the exhibition or contact us via our website.
Construction facts
- Construction project of circa 3 years
- Building envelope includes offices, internal plant with steel frame, extensive concrete structures, and walkways and mechanical machinery
- Construction staff peak at about 250, skills: construction, mechanical, electrical and civil engineering, instrumentation and administration
Key benefits compared to the existing planning permission
- Reduced road traffic to/ from the site
- Up to 250 construction jobs
- Improved architectural design
- Inclusion of facilities to enable visitors and tours
- Opportunities for an education and training resource
- Increased screening and planting along the canal
- Increased wildflower meadow landscaping
- Additional environmental features such as a
living wall and electric vehicle charging points - Opportunities for district heating or power to
nearby businesses - Increased capital investment and creating
regeneration opportunities
The application process
Our new planning application will be submitted this winter to Walsall Council. Details of the final proposals will be available on our website
Local exhibition
An exhibition of the new proposals for the site will take place at:
The Mirus Aca demy (Previously Frank Harrison Engineering College) Willenhall Lane entrance on: Friday 26th October from 3pm to 7pm
Representatives from BH EnergyGap will be there to discuss the proposals for the site and also assist on any employment, contracting interests.
A digital version (Adobe PDF) can be downloaded from 1472_A4-Bulletin-v3