A key part of the master plan for the site (which currently processes waste and recycling for over two million residents from seven north London boroughs) is the replacement of the park’s existing 1970s energy-from-waste plant. In its place, a new cutting-edge Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) will divert non-recyclable waste destined for landfill and use it to generate low-carbon electricity. When operational, the new facility will generate 70 megawatts of electricity: enough to power around 127,000 homes annually. The ERF will be among the most advanced in Europe, using Selective Catalytic Reduction technology to convert nitrogen oxide – a by-product of waste incineration – into water and atmospheric nitrogen.

Accompanying the ERF is a Resource Recovery Facility (RRF) which separates recyclable material from council waste, as well as providing a centre for the public and businesses to recycle bulky items. This facility significantly expands recycling infrastructure in north London, anticipating the shift towards more recycling and less waste from residential households.

The park also integrates a new visitors centre – EcoPark House – which provides facilities to enable learning programmes on waste, energy and recycling, while rehoming the local Edmonton Sea Cadets and providing them with a wharf onto the River Lee. This building will be entirely off-grid, using renewable power generated using photovoltaic cells and ground-source heat pumps, in combination with highly efficient insulation, natural ventilation and timber solar shades, acting as an exemplar for low-energy environmental solutions.

Sustainable principles are embedded into the design of the entire master plan. A combination of integrated photovoltaic panels, low-carbon concrete, geothermal piles, and insulated green and brown roofs minimise operational energy use, while investment in creating nature corridors increase local biodiversity. In addition, the redevelopment plan identifies a large scale ‘opportunity site’ which will be released once the existing EFW is deconstructed, allowing the north London boroughs to explore in the long term the development of new green technologies in response to future recycling and energy challenges.