The waste-to-energy plant will use gasification technology from AlterNRG to convert pre-processed waste to baseload, renewable power.

The plant also has the potential to generate renewable hydrogen for mobile and stationary energy applications and is being considered for a demonstration of Waste2Tricity’s fuel cell technology, potentially aiding moves in the North East to develop hydrogen technology.

A full environmental assessment and programme of public and regulatory stakeholder consultation over the waste-to-energy facility, with stakeholders such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, will take place over the coming months.

If successful, it is anticipated that formal planning and environmental permit regulation applications will be submitted for the waste-to-energy plant later this year.

Ian Williamson, European Hydrogen and Bio Energy Director at Air Products says: “The UK continues to dispose of large volumes of waste to landfill, some of which could be converted to energy using technology such as advanced gasification.

“The technology that Air Products is proposing to bring to Teesside provides an alternative solution to the disposal or incineration of waste, with over 90% of the waste arriving to the site being diverted from landfill and used as a renewable energy resource.”

The waste-to-energy project has received support from regional development agency One North East, which has invested £250,000 from the Tees Valley Industrial Programme (TVIP), to investigate the feasibility of constructing the proposed waste-to-energy plant.