The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has commissioned APP, Broadcrown and Royal Dahlman to design and develop a 5 to 20MW plant that would be economically viable.
The successful design will be chosen in early 2014 and be expected to operate as a test facility for up to four years.
The ETI commissioned the project with the aim to show that energy from waste plant could create power at higher efficiencies than previously produced at scale, with the goal being that the project will operate at a net efficiency of at least 25 per cent.
Paul Winstanley, the ETI bioenergy project manager overseeing the competition, said: “Any successful design of such a plant will provide the opportunity to move towards more efficient, distributed energy conversion technologies and reduce dependency on landfill for waste management in the UK.
Steve Lee, chief executive at the Chartered institution of Wastes Management added: “A competitive approach to design for a cost- and energy efficient demonstration plant will be watched closely by the whole industry.”