Green energy

two plant technicians in the control room

Our energy plant is one of the UK's largest and turns the waste from around 1.9 million north London residents into electricity.  

The waste we receive that cannot be recycled goes to our Energy from Waste (EfW) plant to be incinerated. The result is electricity that not only powers our operations around the Eco Park but also homes and businesses in North London. 

Generating green energy: How it works 

 The waste that comes into our energy plant is tipped into one of five bunkers that holds around six thousand tonnes of waste. A crane then drops that waste into a chute, which in turn feeds one of the boilers.

The waste is burnt, and the heat generated creates superheated steam, which drives the turbines to generate electricity.

The electricity is fed into the National Grid. In 2020 we produced around 270,000MWh  of electricity.

We export around 85% of the electricity we generate – that's enough to power around 80,000 homes throughout the year – with the remaining 15% powering businesses located on the EcoPark.

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Emissions

Our incineration process, as are our waste management activities, is strictly regulated by the Environment Agency.

Electric pylons

Understanding our emissions 

Our environmental permits give us clear instructions on how to protect the environment and help maintain the delicate balance between human activity and environmental protection.