A retained water supply agreement is helping to safeguard continuous operations at one of the UK’s longest-serving energy-from-waste plants.
London Energy, which processes much of North London’s non-recyclable waste and generates electricity for the National Grid, relies on demineralised water to keep its boilers and turbines operating.
With limited onsite storage capacity, any delay in replenishment risked halting waste processing entirely – with potential knock-on effects including increased landfill disposal, financial penalties and interruption to electricity output.
To address this, London Energy signed up to a new WaterTight assured response package from Water Direct, which guarantees mobilisation of two dedicated water tankers within 14 hours of a call being placed. Initially agreed as a two-year arrangement, the contract has since been extended to three years, providing continuity until a planned infrastructure upgrade in 2027.
Ben Hillyear, Operations Manager at London Energy, said: “This was an essential service to put in place. Given the specialist nature of the product, we knew that there could be long lead times from the point of call to delivery.
“Having a guaranteed response time enabled our production team to plan better and ensure the facility continued to produce power.”
The arrangement reduces the operational risk of downtime, while ensuring waste continues to be diverted from landfill and electricity production remains uninterrupted.
Bill Wootten, Director of Business Development of Water Direct said: “WaterTight is designed for sites where water supply is critical to continuous operations. By setting guaranteed response times and allocating resources in advance, we provide assurance that production can continue even if primary sources are disrupted.
“For London Energy, that means avoiding stoppages and maintaining service for the community it supports.”
The Edmonton-based facility plays a key role in North London’s waste strategy, converting non-recyclable waste into energy and helping to meet landfill diversion targets. While it operates a closed-loop water system to recycle demineralised water, the combination of ageing infrastructure and limited storage made a proactive contingency essential.
By securing guaranteed supply through Water Direct, London Energy has strengthened its resilience planning and ensured stability until the upcoming site upgrade.
The agreement highlights the value of pre-arranged contingency measures in reducing risk for industrial operations dependent on specialist inputs.
Water Direct continues to work with organisations across sectors to help them strengthen resilience and ensure continuity where water is critical to operations.
