Tilbury Green Power is a fully operational 41.6MW waste wood biomass plant located in the Port of Tilbury in Essex. As one of the largest biomass plants in the UK, it plays a crucial role in helping the country meet its climate change targets and transition to a low-carbon economy, particularly through energy production from renewable sources.

Constructed between 2015 and 2019, the plant was designed and built to robust specifications using proven modern technology. Each year, it diverts approximately 275,000 tonnes of waste wood from landfill. Notably, it is one of the few large-scale plants in Europe capable of processing lower grades of waste wood, such as grades B and C. These grades, which are non-hazardous, are sourced from household waste recycling centres as well as construction and demolition sites. By utilising these materials, Tilbury Green Power avoids conflict with wood that could be recycled into products like panel board, ensuring energy recovery remains a key part of the waste hierarchy.

The plant generates enough reliable, baseload electricity to power around 97,000 homes, surpassing the population of Thurrock. Furthermore, its energy production process prevents over 300,000 tonnes of fossil-based CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere annually, contributing significantly to the fight against climate change.

To generate electricity, TGP utilises low quality, post-consumer, waste wood biomass sourced from demolition sites and household waste recycling facilities. All waste wood is from the UK with the majority from the South East of England. Without energy recovery via electricity generation at TGP, the only other potential destination for this material is landfill.

The prepared waste wood fuel is used to produce steam in a boiler and drive a steam turbine to generate electricity which is then exported to the local distribution network. TGP generates enough electricity to power over 100,000 households every year.

The operations at TGP actively contribute to preventing the release of carbon dioxide emissions, supporting a low carbon economy and the pathway to net zero. The operations are illustrated by the infographic (link) and the photo gallery on this page.

In 2025, TGP will enter its seventh year of operations.

TGP aims to minimise our carbon emissions and maximise the environmental benefits of our operations.

TGP recognises that reducing the use of fossil fuels and the release of fossil-based carbon dioxide emissions to atmosphere is critical in addressing climate change.

TGP provides two key operational functions:

1. Diversion of biodegradable waste wood from landfill – preventing biodegradable waste wood from going to landfill prevents methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from entering the atmosphere. In receiving, sorting and preparing the waste wood into a fuel for electricity generation, ferrous and non-ferrous metals are also recovered and recycled.

2. Generation of low-carbon, baseload electricity. Generating electricity contributes to displacing the requirement for marginal power generation from carbon based fuels such as natural gas. As a result of operations at TGP, around 275,000 tonnes of waste wood is diverted from landfill every year.

Where possible, TGP will also seek to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the local community through supporting energy efficiency improvement schemes via our Social Value Strategy.