Close up view of ERF; Close up view of ERF;

North London heat and power project, Edmonton, London

How do you dispose of 700,000 tonnes of north London’s waste?

The North London Heat and Power Project is a ten-year programme to build an Energy Recovery Facility, and associated development, to replace the existing Energy from Waste plant at the Edmonton EcoPark in north London. The facility will be built using advanced technology and be one of the most efficient of its kind.

The current facility has served north London for 45 years and has diverted 21 million tonnes of waste from landfill, but is due to reach the end of its life before 2025. The new facility will generate around 70 megawatts of electricity, enough to power around 127,000 homes, and could provide heat and power for local homes and businesses.

North London Waste Authority (NLWA) are redeveloping the Edmonton EcoPark site in Enfield, London. The facility is expected to cater for up to 700,000 tonnes of residual waste from the seven north London boroughs. Currently the central part of the site is an Energy from Waste plant which is nearing the end of its operational life. The North London Heat and Power Project (NLHPP) aims to replace this with a new and substantially more efficient Energy Recovery Facility which will generate up to 70 megawatts of electricity, enough to power around 127,000 homes as well as providing residual heat to a local heat network. The energy is recovered from waste by burning it to heat water, creating steam that spins a turbine to generate electricity.

Project Summary


21million tonnes of waste have been diverted from landfill

70,000 megawattsof electricity could be generated from waste

127,000 homes could be powered by the electricity generated

Leading a complex Development Consent Order

Arup delivered the successful Development Consent Order (DCO) application for this Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project. Our multi-disciplinary team led the preparation of the scheme through an iterative process of design development, public consultation and engagement with a range of stakeholders including local authorities and community groups. We responded to the findings of the public consultation and addressed the environmental challenges.

Arup assisted with the management of the design process, coordinating inputs from numerous disciplines including engineering, architecture, environment, transport, legal and consultation. Our team prepared the environmental and transport assessments, along with technical documents including the Sustainability Statement, Design and Access Statement and Code of Construction Practice.

This complex application was prepared in less than 16 months ensuring that the project was on track to meet the overall construction programme. The DCO was granted by the UK Secretary of State on 24 February 2017.

Bringing the Energy from Waste facility to life

We will provide continuity to NLWA with our appointment in August 2018 as programme management advisors on this complex long-term project. The team will support the design, procurement, construction and operational transition activities. Drawing from our experience on projects such as National Grid’s London Power Tunnels, we provide confidence to our client across strategic advice, procurement and design management through project controls and into site delivery.

All work will be managed and coordinated while the existing Energy from Waste plant and supporting facilities remain operational to avoid disruption to the two million north London residents whose waste is processed in the site.

Sustainability through waste recovery

For many years, we have been advising clients on building resilience by delivering beneficial, creative and sustainable solutions. Our work with NLWA aligns strongly with our views on sustainability, we are working to support the development of sustainable solutions in managing waste, which are environmentally friendly and significantly reduce our reliance on landfill.