Project Benefits

The North London Heat and Power Project will provide a number of improvements that will benefit the local community, the environment and the economy.

Local community benefits

  1. Generate 78 megawatts of power from waste, which can supply electricity and heat for up to 127,000 homes.
  2. Support an impressive programme of over 100 apprenticeships and 225 skills training opportunities for the local community.
  3. A new education and community centre called EcoPark House, which will help local people learn about the values of reducing, reusing and recycling their waste.
  4. District heating network with the potential to heat Meridian Water.

Environmental benefits

  1. Save the equivalent of 215,000 tonnes of CO2 every year by using energy recovery rather than disposing to landfill. That’s like taking 110,000 cars off the road.
  2. Improve air quality in north London. The current facility operates 20% better than the permitted levels of nitrogen oxide and the new facility will perform at more than 60% better.
  3. Recycle 135,000 tonnes of waste each year and repurpose 18,500 tonnes of metal and ash to make roads, pavements and construction material.

Economic benefits

  1. Create at least 100 local apprenticeships.
  2. 225 on-site skills training opportunities for school leavers or the unemployed who want to start a career in the construction industry.
  3. Boost the local economy – we’ve set targets to achieve 25% local employment and 10% local expenditure.
  4. Provide the opportunity for a new low-carbon heat network for Meridian Water, a local development with thousands of new homes, as well as new shops and businesses.
  5. Treat waste for over 2 million residents in the most cost-effective way.

These were taken account for in a Value for Money review of the project which was scrutinised by the Government (taking account of the environmental and societal benefits) and was awarded the maximum amount available ( £100 million) of preferential borrowing. This was approved against Treasury “Green Book” guidelines and established that it met all requirements.