FAQs

The Centre for Horsham Energy Recovery (CHER) project will generate energy by processing around 230,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste from West Sussex and surrounding areas every year.  It will treat household black bin waste after all recycling has taken place, generating low carbon electricity and steam. Without the facility, this waste would probably be exported or end up in landfill.

The site is on the Wealden Works industrial site to the north of Horsham, West Sussex. The post code is RH12 4QD. It is on the northern side of the A264, with the London to Horsham railway line to the west and Langhurstwood Road to the East. There is an existing small landfill site to the north of the site, and a mechanical and biological treatment facility to the east with Warnham Brickworks to the south. These facilities are operated by other companies and are not connected to CHER.

It will recover energy from waste and generate electricity which will be fed back into the grid to be used by homes and businesses. It is a cleaner and safer way of treating waste which cannot economically or practically be recycled. The process displaces fossil fuel and it fills some of the gap left by the decommissioning of the UK’s coal-fired power stations.

This facility will reduce waste by up to 100% creating electricity, heat and aggregates from the combustion ash. Energy from waste also contributes towards the UK’s renewable energy targets.

The facility will:

• Generate up to 23 megawatts (MW) of sustainable electricity. That’s enough energy to power approximately 47,000 homes.
• Create up to 500 construction jobs and around 40 new, skilled operational roles.
• Create opportunities for a wide range of local suppliers and supply chain companies.

• Divert around 230,000 tonnes per year of residual waste which would otherwise go to landfill or be exported, which generates a larger carbon footprint.
• Use residues from the combustion process (known as Incinerator Bottom Ash) to produce aggregates that can be used in the production of concrete products or construction.
• Be regulated by the Environment Agency
• Contribute to the UK’s drive to reduce CO2 emissions from electricity generation.

Yes, the project was given consent following a public inquiry in February 2020.  The case reference number is APP/P3800/W/18/3218965

The project is owned by Qair, an independent renewable energy producer which develops, builds and operates wind, solar, hydroelectric and green hydrogen projects around the world. Qair works in 20 countries across Europe, Latin America and Africa and is an international leader in responsible energy generation.

You can find out more on Qair's website.

• In a modern energy recovery plant, solid waste is transported to the facility by enclosed HGV and refuse collection vehicles (RCVs) once all recycling has taken place. It is then stored in a bunker inside the building.
• The building is kept at negative pressure to prevent odours from escaping outdoors.
• Waste from the bunker is put into a fuel hopper by a crane and transferred onto a moving grate where the waste is treated at very high temperatures to prevent any harmful substances from forming.
• A fully integrated control system ensures stable and efficient operation.
• Hot air created from the combustion process passes through a boiler, converting water into high pressure steam. This steam drives a highly efficient turbine to produce electricity.
• The electricity generated is exported to the local electricity distribution system to be used by homes and businesses.
• In addition, subject to a suitable local off-taker, some of the steam created by the process could be used by nearby businesses or homes in a district heating system.
• Any odours from the waste are burnt off and all gases from the process are cleaned and treated  by a combination of filters and scrubbers before being released into the atmosphere.
• All emissions from the process are continuously monitored and - where required - treated to meet strict air quality standards as set out within the site’s environmental permit.
• By-products such as ash and metals will be reused and recycled.
• Control room staff will monitor and manage the whole process to ensure the facility is operated in a safe, efficient and compliant way.

The CHER facility will generate up to 23 megawatts – which is enough electricity to power a town with around 47,000 homes.

The facility will accept post-recycled, pre-treated non-hazardous residential, commercial and industrial waste.

The main components are water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and oxygen along with other controlled emissions.

These are below the limits set out in the environmental permit which sets safe limits for all industrial emissions and manages air quality. See “How are air emissions managed” for more information.

The process

Combustion gases are treated before they are released into the atmosphere to remove elements such as nitrogen oxide, dioxins and furans.

The hot gases are then filtered through our flue gas treatment system where they are treated through a sophisticated chemical scrubber and a bag filter system to remove fine particles.

Once cleaned, the gases pass through the chimney stack. A Continuous Emissions Monitoring System ensures emissions are legally compliant and meet strict air quality standards set out in the facility’s environmental permit.

Regulation, compliance and monitoring

The CHER facility will be subject to strict conditions regulated by the Environment Agency.

During operation, it will use highly advanced controls and continuous emissions monitoring technology to make sure air emissions meet stringent modern standards as set out in its environmental permit. If the emission levels start to rise, this will be detected by the continuous emissions monitoring system and the distributed control system. The operators will and must make adjustments to maintain compliance with the environmental permit. Failure to do this could result in the plant being prevented from operating by the Environment Agency.

The project will not increase the amount of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV)  movements which are currently permitted at the site.

HGV movements are limited by the conditions attached to the project’s planning consent.

A maximum of 142 HGVs are permitted to enter the site between 0700 and 1630 between Mondays and  Fridays.

Up to 142 HGVs are allowed to exit the site between 0700 and 1800 Monday to Friday.

On Saturdays, no more than 70 HGVs are allowed to enter the site between 0700 – 1200 and no more than 70 HGVs will exit between 0700 and 1800. A maximum of nine HGVs are allowed to exit the site between 1630 and 1800 on Saturdays.

No HGVs are allowed to enter or exit the site on Sundays, Bank Holidays and Public Holidays.

No. The facility’s design means that almost all activity will take place indoors and therefore any noise impacts in the wider area will be insignificant.

Background noise monitoring has been carried out and the data used to assess the potential effects on those nearest to the site, in line with published standards and guidance.

The main building will have a footprint of around 170 metres by 107 metres. The roof will be approximately 36 metres above ground level at its highest point. The height of the stack will be up to 95 metres, and will be coloured a muted grey to limit its visual impact when seen against the sky.

Every step is taken to minimise the likelihood of odour and it should not be detectable beyond the site boundary. We will be taking the following steps to support this:

• The waste will be transported to site by covered lorries.
• They will back into the tipping hall which has fast acting roller shutter doors to enclose the lorry before it tips its waste.
• All waste will be stored within enclosed buildings to prevent odour release.
• The waste reception or tipping hall and waste bunker will be kept under negative pressure. Air is drawn through the building by a large fan, and is directed into the combustion process where any odours are combusted.
• We will work with our neighbours to address any odour or other complaints.
• If there is prolonged shut down for maintenance reasons, waste can be diverted to other facilities to avoid longer term storage.

The operation of the CHER facility is overseen by the Environment Agency, which has issued an Environmental Permit setting out stringent conditions. The permit covers design, air quality, ground water, surface water and measures to ensure safe storage, management and disposal of waste. It also requires the operators to minimise the risk of accidents, noise and odour, and operate in the most energy efficient way possible. You can find the details on the environmental permit.

There are often concerns that energy recovery facilities reduce recycling rates, but it is simply not practical or possible to recycle all waste. Examples of materials that cannot be recycled are plastic films like the ones that cover ready meals, some types of textiles, many laminated materials (such as certain types of crisp packets), disposable nappies, paper and card contaminated with food. The CHER project will only accept waste that has been sorted for recyclable material, treating waste that would otherwise be exported or sent to landfill.

In addition, safety is often a concern. The subject of the impacts of incineration on health has been studied extensively. The Government’s position is that: “Public Health England’s risk assessment remains that modern, well run and regulated municipal waste incinerators are not a significant risk to public health.”1  The report points out that the emissions are stringently regulated and at the limits of detection, especially when compared to background levels: “This view is based on detailed assessments of the effects of air pollutants on health and on the fact that these incinerators make only a very small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants.”2

More information is available on the government website - gov.uk

1, 2 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/municipal-waste-incinerators-emissions-impact-on-health/phe-statement-on-modern-municipal-waste-incinerators-mwi-study

As well as creating local jobs and investment, we intend to play an active role in the local community and support both local community and environmental initiatives.

The facility will be built by an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) contractor.

Construction is expected to start in Summer 2026 and take approximately three years to complete.

The normal working hours during construction will be:

• 0700 – 1900 Monday to Friday inclusive
• 0800 – 1600 on Saturdays

There will not be any deliveries on Sundays, Bank Holidays or Public Holidays

It is our aim to be a good neighbour, establishing relationships with the community and local businesses. One of the key ways we are working with the community is via our Local Liaison Committee – we will start meeting very soon and we are looking for interested people to join us.

Yes, a round 40 new jobs will be created once the facility is up and running. During the construction phase, the number will vary during different stages of the programme, but we expect the project to create up to 500 construction jobs. We will provide more information on these opportunities as they become available.

There will be supply chain opportunities for local businesses throughout the construction phase. Many subcontractors will be needed, ranging from canteen services to engineering and construction, office materials, transport services and accommodation. We will provide more information on these opportunities as they become available.