A partnership between UK Power Networks and Cory Group has connected Riverside 2, one of the UK’s largest energy-from-waste facilities, to the electricity network.

Located on the Thames in Belvedere, the plant will convert 650,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste into energy, powering up to 176,000 homes and reducing landfill.

In total 10.6km of cross-linked polyethylene cable has been used, using a cable route that routed around three different rivers and associated bridges, using directional drilling when needed, minimising environmental impact and disruption.

This new circuit will provide an extra 82.5MVA to the electricity network to help cater for future electricity needs.

Peter Kent, managing director of Riverside 2 at Cory Group, said: “We are proud to deliver an essential public service and want to ensure there is no waste from waste – this includes recovering the energy contained in the waste we process and returning it back to local communities as baseload, partially renewable electricity. Riverside 2 will provide vital waste processing capacity for London and the South East, as well as generating electricity for the grid, and working together with our partners including UK Power Networks and JSM is a key part of delivering value for our communities.”

---