The Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) in Sheffield, generates electricity for the National Grid and heat for the city's award winning district energy network from the waste you and your family put in your black wheeled bin.

This is how it works

1. Waste from households, local authority services and some local businesses is brought to the ERF. It is tipped into the waste storage bunker.
2. From the bunker the waste is lifted onto a feed hopper by an overhead crane at a rate of 28 tonnes per hour.
3. The hopper feeds the waste into a single incineration unit where it is burned at temperatures in excess of 850 degrees centigrade.
4. Gas fired auxiliary burners ensure that the correct temperature is maintained in the incinerator at all times.
5. Above the incinerator is a large boiler where the superheated steam is generated. The steam is used to drive the turbine, generating electricity for the National Grid and produce hot water for the district energy network.
6. The cooled flue gases pass through a filter house where the amount of particulate (dust) within the gases is substantially reduced by the filter bags. Any particulate collected in this process is then stored in a silo for separate disposal later.
7. To reduce NOx emissions urea is introduced to the furnace.
8. Lime and activated carbon is also introduced to neutralise the acidity of the flue gas and absorb other pollutants.
9. Cleaned gases are then released through the chimney. These gases are monitored to ensure they meet strict environmental regulations and legislation.
10. Ash from the incineration process goes into a bunker and is then taken to landfill.
11. An electromagnetic overband separator removes metal from the ash. The metal is delivered to a local company for recycling.
12. Particulates removed from the filtering process are taken to a process plant for treatment and then safe disposal.

Monitoring systems operate 24 hours a day to allow us to ensure the performance of the ERF meets all environmental regulations and legislation.