enfinium Kelvin energy from waste facility already playing critical role in delivering economic growth and net zero, says new CBI Economics report

SANDWELL, United Kingdom

A new energy from waste facility under construction in Sandwell, West Bromwich is already playing an important role in creating green jobs and boosting domestic energy security, according to a new report published this week by CBI Economics.

Commissioned by enfinium, one of the UK’s leading energy from waste businesses, the report measured the economic impact of the company’s operations from its employees through to its extensive supply chain across the UK. enfinium currently transforms 2.3 million tonnes of non-recyclable waste into homegrown energy at four facilities across the UK, with a further two currently in construction, including enfinium Kelvin in Sandwell.

The new analysis found that in 2022:

• Contributes nearly £53 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK economy as a direct result of its construction projects at Kelvin and Skelton Grange in Leeds. This figure rises to a total of £220 million generated for the UK economy across both projects throughout the entirety of their three-year construction periods.
• Contributes a total of 1,199 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs to UK employment at its Kelvin and Skelton Grange sites alone. This rises to a total of 3,314 FTE jobs across both sites throughout their three-year construction periods. This generation of meaningful jobs is vital in the West Midlands, where unemployment rates are among the highest in the country. Birmingham (8%), Walsall (6.5%) and Wolverhampton (6.5%) all feature in the bottom 20 list of local authorities with the highest levels of unemployment.
• Create 85 FTE jobs once the two sites are operational. enfinium’s employees typically live locally and these are highly paid jobs, with median full-time wages for enfinium’s staff at nearly £53,000 per year. This sits well above the average wages paid in the Sandwell area, which are less than £31,000 per year.
• Benefit over 600 businesses across the UK, with a geographical spread spanning more than half of the UK’s local authorities.
• When enfinium’s wider economic contributions are taken into account – such as the jobs and GVA supported throughout the company’s supply chain – their total contribution rises to £242 million in GVA and 1,047 jobs across the UK economy.
• In addition to supporting green growth, by capturing by-products from its processes, recycling materials and diverting waste from landfill, the company delivered emissions savings of over 565,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions to the UK economy in 2021 – a carbon footprint equivalent to over 113,000 individuals.

The report details that enfinium’s local impact in Sandwell goes beyond the creation of skilled, well-paid jobs thanks to the launch of a dedicated Community Fund that covers a wide range of charitable giving. This £50,000 fund provides grants and donations to support areas such as the environment (e.g.: waste reduction/recycling, promotion of clean energy), improved health, safety and wellbeing, social inclusion and education.

Mike Maudsley, Chief Executive Officer at enfinium, said: “The transition to a Net Zero economy represents one of the greatest economic opportunities in the UK’s history. Our modern energy from waste facilities already generate hundreds of millions of pounds of green growth every year and our construction team in Sandwell is already driving regional economic growth in an area that needs stimulus. We’re constructing a West Midlands’ facility that will soon be making a measurable contribution towards battling climate change.”

Andy Street, Mayor for West Midlands, and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “This new analysis demonstrates the investment that leading British companies like enfinium are making in the West Midlands is crucial to delivering a green economy and support the region’s goal to reach net zero by 2041.”

A copy of the CBI Economics report can be downloaded from the enfinium website here. 

Notes to editor

About enfinium

enfinium is one of the largest energy from waste businesses in the UK and is an industry leader in the conversion of non-recyclable residential and business waste into heat and partially renewable power. enfinium currently has a platform of six (two in construction) strategically located facilities across the UK. Today, enfinium has an annual waste processing capacity of over 2.3 million tonnes, and a total combined electric generating capacity of 265MW (gross) — enough energy to power more than 500,000 UK homes. For more on enfinium, please visit www.enfinium.co.uk.