Waste heat recovery utilises the waste heat generated during industrial processes and repurposes it to provide heating and hot water. Sources can range from manufacturing to data centres and the technology has the opportunity to make up an important part of the UK’s energy mix. Energy from Waste is a renewable solution that can provide low carbon electricity as well as capture the waste heat generated during the process and utilise in the form of district heating.
Energy from Waste is a highly regulated and technically complex area, and we support clients at every stage of a project from planning and design through to construction and long-term Operation & Maintenance.
Our experience includes delivering major infrastructure such as the Energy from Waste plant at Drakelow, which will generate 18MWe of electricity from non-recyclable Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF). Alongside power generation, we maximise the value of heat by designing and implementing efficient heat off-take solutions, as seen in schemes such as Leeds PIPES.
We also apply this expertise to emerging opportunities in waste heat recovery, including data centres. As the sector continues to grow across the UK, it presents a reliable, continuous source of recoverable heat. Using heat exchangers and heat pump technology, we capture and upgrade excess heat that would otherwise be lost through cooling systems, transferring it into water-based networks and distributing it via district heating. This approach provides a stable, low-carbon heat source for surrounding developments, helping to decarbonise communities while improving overall system efficiency.
These EFW plants burn waste products such as municipal waste or waste food to create steam which drives a turbine to create electricity.
Many industries, such as glass making or data centres, generate large amounts of heat which is not utilised.
Data centres offer a reliable and continuous source of recoverable heat.
In some instances, a process may result in a waste by-product, such as tallow or wood shavings, which can be incinerated to generate heat.
