Information for Advanced Conversion and Recovery Facility at Theale Quarry, Theale, Reading
Status: PotentialPlanning Region: South East
Planning Sub-Region: West Berkshire
Operator: Vertigo (consultancy) and EPI (technology provider)
Capacity: 104,000
Campaign Group(s): Contact coordinator@ukwin.org.uk to be put in touch with those opposing this development.
Notes: In March 2025 West Berkshire Council approved planning permission for a "Advanced Conversion and Recovery Facility" (24/00247/MINMAJ). According to the Planning Statement: "The proposal seeks to develop a facility which would include 12 pyrolysis units processing a total of 104,000tpa", with the output to be a "fuel gas and a solid carbon char" and it is stated that: "...the main commercial focus of the plant is to produce hydrogen and/or bio-naphtha (a precursor of Sustainable Aviation Fuels or other liquid fuels), it is quite possible that the gas engines will only be used occasionally, or not at all. They are however included in the scheme for purposes of commercial flexibility/resilience" but that: "The gas engines could be used if the hydrogen/bio-naphtha markets become unviable, or if there is a need for the creation of power for the use of the plant if electricity supplies become unreliable or uneconomic". Proposal discussed in 21 May 2024 in a presentation to West Berkshire's Environment Advisory Group Open Forum. According to the minutes, the site would use "EPI's pure pyrolysis technology" to treat "small pieces of card, wood, or other organics, plastic or films – Refuse derived fuel (RDF), that other Materials Recycling Facilities would not take" and "would take sustainable biomass, forestry, and agricultural waste. Such as short rotation willow, miscanthus" and would "Target the commercial and industrial construction and demolition markets run by private companies". (Entry updated 2025-07-31)
Planning Consent files:
322-PlanningConsent-2025.pdfEnvironment Agency Compliance Assessment Reports
Click here to see the incinerator compliance documents for existing English incineratorsStandard notice:
UKWIN (and therefore the UKWIN map) focuses on Municipal Waste Incinerators, whereas our colleagues at Biofuelwatch focus on biomass projects. If you are interested in biomass incinerators (including waste wood plants) over 20MW then please see the Biofuelwatch map of UK Biomass Power Stations. Those concerned about biomass plants, including waste wood plants, should email Biofuelwatch at biofuelwatch[at]gmail.com.Please be aware: There is always room for improvement, so please send updates to coordinator@ukwin.org.uk. Existing Incinerator means a facility that is operational or under construction/commissioning. A Potential Incinerator is a facility where there is a proposal for an incinerator (e.g. planning application or planning consent) or other reason to believe an incinerator might be built/proposed in the future. A Prevented Incinerator is something which used to be a proposal or expected incinerator which we do not believe is currently being progressed (e.g. because the project was cancelled, planning permission refused, or years have gone by since the permission was granted without any progress) - in some cases a facility marked as prevented is being progressed without us being aware or is subsequently revived. Capacity is usually the permitted or maximum advertised capacity of the facility.