M5 drivers met with huge building in West Midlands
The new energy waste conversion facility will generate enough electricity to power almost 100,000 homes
05:47, 03 Aug 2025
The new energy plant near the M5 in West Bromwich, as seen on Google Street View from November 2024(Image: Google)
Drivers travelling along the M5 in the West Midlands have been met by a huge building next to the carriageway.
Over the past two years, motorists[1] will have noticed the energy-from-waste-facility rising from the ground in West Bromwich.
The ?400million plant is an imposing structure for drivers[2] travelling along the bend of the motorway just south of Junction 1.
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Although it appears to be just metres from the M5 itself, the facility is actually located off the nearby A4182 Kelvin Way.
Motorists driving past on the M5 will have noticed workers in high-vis clothing working at height on the giant building.
Work on the plant began back in June 2021 and Sandwell[5] Council says it should be completed by December 2025.
The facility will convert 395,000 tonnes of non-recyclable waste destined for landfill or export into 44MW home-grown energy every year.
More than 400 jobs are set to be created during construction of the facility, which will be operated by enfinium, while there will be more than 40 full-time jobs once operational.
The plant, which is called enfinium Kelvin, will be able to generate enough electricity to power more than 95,000 homes.
A spokesperson for Sandwell Council said: "enfinium Kelvin is an energy from waste facility currently under construction.
Article continues below"The facility will divert 395,000 tonnes of non-recyclable household and business waste that would have otherwise been sent to landfill or export.
"enfinium Kelvin will use the residual waste to generate 44MW (gross) of partially renewable baseload energy per annum, equivalent to the needs of more than 95,000 UK homes and businesses."
References
- ^ motorists (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ drivers (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ The M5 junction hiding a secret passage that was once part of something much grander (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
- ^ BirminghamLive WhatsApp (chat.whatsapp.com)
- ^ Sandwell (www.birminghammail.co.uk)