Kilkern secures underground services for £480m energy-from-waste project

Kilkern has been appointed to carry out the installation of all underground services at the £480m Lostock Sustainable Energy Plant (LSEP) project in Cheshire. 

LSEP, a joint venture between Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and FCC Environment, awarded the contract to the Bolton-based civil engineering and infrastructure specialist which will install drainage and ducting to meet the needs of the energy-from-waste facility. 

Black & Veatch is the engineering, procurement and construction management (EpCM) contractor on the £480m project under construction at the Lostock Works site near Northwich. 

Kilkern will complete works totalling almost 8.5km of drainage and ducting at the site, including deep drainage, cast iron pipework, pressure mains, bypass separators, septic tanks and an attenuation tank. 

Once operational, LSEP will export 69.9MW of electricity to the grid using residual waste – the waste material remaining once materials that can be recycled have been removed – as a fuel.

Kilkern operations manager Craig Winter, described the contract award as an important win and a reflection of the business’ reputation for delivering civil engineering excellence in the North-west.

“This is one of the most significant projects underway in the region which will have major impacts for waste management – the plant will prevent 600,000 tonnes of waste from potentially going to landfill – energy generation and the environment,” he said.

“When it is completed and operational, LSEP will be able to generate sufficient sustainable energy to power 125,000 dwellings – equivalent to more than two-thirds of households in Cheshire West and Chester.

“Having previously constructed the access road to the site in 2022, we are delighted to be working with Black & Veatch and LSEP again and look forward to continuing to play our part in this exciting project.”

It is anticipated that LSEP will become operational in 2025.