The LSEP is a nationally important project that was granted consent in October 2012 under Section 36 of the Electricity Act by the then Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).
Public consultation launched on Section 36C Application – June 2026
We are proposing changes to the scheme through a new application made under Section 36C of the Electricity Act, which will allow the plant to realise its full energy generating capacity.
Whilst the facility has the capability to generate up to 76.9MW of sustainable energy from non-recyclable waste, current planning restrictions on the waste that can be treated at the plant limit output to an equivalent of 67.3MW. We want to vary the consent to allow more waste fuel to be processed and thus increase the power generation by around 10MW.
Our variation application will also seek to permit the export of around 165,000 tonnes per year of ash from the plant by rail.
By doing so we would be able to import more waste fuel while remaining within the currently approved HGV limit numbers.
The proposed changes
We are proposing to use existing on-site rail infrastructure, previously operated by Tata Chemicals, to introduce ash export by rail. This will enable more waste fuel to be imported to the site whilst ensuring there would be no overall increase in HGV numbers beyond that already established in the existing consent.
In addition, it will reactivate the use of the rail sidings and the required investment in the rail infrastructure will improve the prospects for increased rail use at the site in the future.
In order to facilitate the export of ash from the LSEP by rail there will need to be some amendments to, and a slight relocation of, the existing consented (but not built) Ash Handling Facility (AHF) to form a new Ash Handling and Rail Loading Facility (AHRLF). The new building would span the existing rail siding at the LSEP site. In addition, we are proposing to extend the existing sidings by approximately 60 metres.
Proposed Scheme Benefits
If the new application made under Section 36C of the Electricity Act is approved it will deliver enhanced benefits including:
Generate enough sustainable energy to power up to 210,000 homes or a town around two and a half times the size of Northwich and Winsford, displacing energy that would otherwise come from a gas-fired power station
Divert up to 728,000 tonnes of waste from landfill and/or export overseas every year
Creating 50 high quality permanent new jobs and using a peak construction workforce of over 900 people
A boost to the region’s economy with an annual operational expenditure of around £27 million per year, including opportunities for local firms, and additional income to the Council with an estimated £2.5 million per year in business rates
Potential to heat local homes and industry through district heating and supply of electricity to local businesses through dedicated private wire connections
Legacy of environmental community investment through the LSEP Community Fund
Have your say
We want to hear your feedback as we prepare the Section 36C variation application.
A period of public consultation was held from 24 June until 21 July 2026. During this time, we held an:
- Information drop-in event from 3-7pm on 8 July 2026 at Brio Leisure, Northwich Memorial Court, Chester Way, Northwich, CW9 5QJ
- Online webinar from 6-7pm on 13 July.
Following consultation, we will be submitting our Section 36C variation application to the Secretary of State in late 2026.
Once the application has been accepted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) it will be available to view here on the planning page of the LSEP website, and you will be given an additional opportunity to comment directly on the application to DESNZ.