Results through cooperation

SELCHP (South East London Combined Heat and Power) is a major incineration plant located in South Bermondsey. It is an energy recovery facility that transforms household waste into power, producing electricity and heating for up to 48,000 homes. The plant treats 430,000 tons of London’s waste a year.

Powerpipe Systems AB was contracted to supply a 5.5 km flow and return pipework, as part of theunderground mains project for SELCHP. The pipework feeds water to 4 boiler houses within theLondon Borough of Southwark. The boiler houses supply over 2700 homes with heating and hotwater.

Main challenges

• Space constraints: With a diameter of 560 mm, the twin pipe system in DN200 made for achallenging installation. Both Welders and Joint Operators were met with difficult workingconditions often cramped by other utilities. Obstacles were efficiently communicated and swiftly resolved. Our teams skill and attitude allowed any variations to be managed without impactingthe installation.
• Variations: Due to the complexity of the project, bespoke solutions were offered. All variationswere validated by our Technical Department with over 40 years of experience with districtheating. This support and commitment allowed for quick and efficient results.
• Freight: As a district of Central London, delivering trucks with a 40” trailer in Southwark wasrather challenging. Delivery delays due to heavy traffic were avoided through communicationswith contractors directly.

An efficient and low carbon solution that can be replicated in other cities, the SELCHP projectdemonstrates that with close cooperation and clear communication laying district heating in largecities does not have to be problematic.