Wilton International: the Sustainability Journey So Far

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For the UK to meet its climate change target of Net Zero emissions by 2050, energy-intensive businesses and industrial sites must decarbonise. As Sembcorp Energy UK explores potential decarbonisation solutions and technologies for Wilton International, we take a look at the site’s sustainability journey so far…

Timeline

2021

Sembcorp Energy UK pursues a range of decarbonisation-related activities at Wilton International:

The Company:

  • Signs MoU with BP as a potential customer of their clean hydrogen facilities.
  • Explores developing hydrogen infrastructure to enable ‎hydrogen supply to third parties.
  • Works with the East Coast Cluster to lead the development of the UK’s first industrial CCUS cluster coupled with decarbonised power.
2020

At the Forefront of UK Industrial Decarbonisation Strategies

Wilton International becomes a key partner in Net Zero Teesside (NZT), the industrial cluster’s ambitious Carbon Capture Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) project.

NZT plans to decarbonise the Teesside cluster’s carbon-intensive businesses as early as 2030, to deliver the UK’s first zero carbon industrial cluster.

2016

Wilton 11, a £250m Waste-to Energy Plant, Comes Online.

The new facility generates a net 42MW electricity from 440,000 tonnes/year of otherwise non-recyclable domestic waste, as well as steam for companies on site.

The process saves around 127,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year versus fossil fuel energy production, while preventing landfill.

2014

A Complete Move Away from Coal

Enabled by investments in more efficient and sustainable power generation, the last coal-fired boilers at Wilton International are closed down ahead of the UK Government’s 2015 commitment to phase out coal over the following 10 years.

Again Sembcorp Energy UK is ahead of the game – in 2010 40% of the UK’s energy continued to be produced from coal.

2011

Further Efficiency and Sustainability Improvements

ST11, a £20m, state-of-the-art steam turbine generator, becomes operational at Wilton International. The new facility generates additional electricity while supplying steam to industrial customers on the site.

As well reducing carbon emissions, the investment contributes to the security of the site's energy supply.

2007

Opening of the UK’s First Large-scale Wood-to-Energy Power Station.

Representing a £65m investment in a biomass steam boiler and electricity turbine, Wilton 10 utilises 300,000 tonnes of sustainable wood per year to generate 30MW electricity.

The process saves around 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually compared with conventional fossil fuel facilities.

2004

Investing in New Technology to Reduce Emissions.

GT1, a £20m, 40MW gas turbine, comes online at Wilton International. As well as delivering improved efficiencies, the facility enables the fast, responsive supply of large quantities of power and steam to businesses on site.

Use of the latest ‘Dry Low NOx’ (DLN) technology, together with the closure of an oil-fired boiler, leads to a substantial reduction in emissions.

2003

Sembcorp invests in the UK market at Wilton International.

One of the Singapore-based company’s first actions is to approve funding for the GT1 gas turbine - to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions on the site.

Location Sustainable Fuels