Crayford, 20th of January 2022
N+P Group B.V. (“N+P”) today announced it has acquired Crayford Material Recycling Facility (MRF) in South-East London from Viridor, one of the UK’s leading recycling, resources and waste management companies.
- The facility processes 330,000 tonnes of recyclables per year, employing 260 people.
- Third acquisition since entering Mercuria strategic partnership in April 2021, with more to follow.
- Intend to invest in further operations in the UK and Europe to accelerate the rollout of its patented alternative fuels – allowing industrial customers in the cement, steel, lime and power sector to dramatically reduce their costs and carbon footprint.
N+P Group have invested over £75m in the UK in 2021, and plan to invest the same amount in 2022 to expand their strategic footprint in the UK. This is part of the company’s overall £200m investment between 2021-2022.
Crayford MRF is one of the largest and most efficient materials recycling facilities in the UK, employing up to 260 people. It processes a large part of the Dry Mixed Recyclables from Greater London, the South, and South-East of UK.
Crayford MRF is the third site N+P has acquired since entering a strategic partnership with Mercuria Energy Trading (“Mercuria”) in April 2021, which has their continual investment into the business. Employee headcount has grown fourfold in this period.
The key driver of this rapid expansion is to accelerate the production of N+P’s patented alternative fuel Subcoal® - a direct replacement for coal in production of cement, steel, and ceramic - which allows N+Ps industrial customers to significantly reduce their production costs and carbon footprint. Subcoal® is produced from various non-recyclable commercial and industrial waste streams, which would otherwise end up in landfill, with harmful environmental consequences.
By investing in new alternative fuel production capacity at Crayford and Rotterdam, the company benefits from significant synergies due to existing site infrastructure and the expertise of the onsite management teams while maintaining the sites existing recycling capabilities. This strategy will see Crayford grow from receiving 330,000 tonnes of input material per year to over 500,000 tonnes. It is also expected to increase the number of employees to more than 300, and produce enough Subcoal® to replace 136,000 tonnes of coal in UK industry.
N+P’ plans to add 13 alternative fuel production plants to its operations in Europe by 2026, producing over 5 million tonnes of alternative fuels per year.
Stijn Jennissen, Chief Commercial Officer at N+P, said:
“N+P’s rationale for acquiring the London location is driven by the company’s desire to expand production in locations throughout the UK and diversify its activities. Ultimately, having both an alternative fuel production location as well as a MRF operation at the same location optimises the complete value chain for waste. N+P believes the non-recyclable waste fraction can play a significant role in the transition to cleaner future proof energy sources.”
Michael French, Chief Commercial Officer at Viridor, said:
“We are delighted that N+P are the new owners of Crayford MRF. With this sale, we will be able to continue Viridor’s strategy of growing our core areas of our business, including our Energy Recovery and Polymers Reprocessing, while pushing ahead with our plans to be net zero by 2040.”
“We wish to thank the team at Crayford MRF for their hard work over recent years. We are determined to ensure a smooth transition and assist N+P Group in driving their business forward. We wish everyone at Crayford MRF the very best for the future, and we also wish to thank Crayford’s customers for their support over recent years.”
Jean-François Steels, Vice President of Energy Transition at Mercuria, said:
“Mercuria has a strong interest in the development of alternative fuels as we seek to help customers in their transition away from coal. Our partnership with N+P is a key enabler of this strategy, with Subcoal® providing a real alternative with substantial cost and environmental benefits. These acquisitions provide a strong foundation for N+Ps future growth, and we will continue to support them on their journey to increase their production of alternative fuels.
“N+P’s deep understanding of the waste and recycling industries have been key to their success so far, and we are delighted to be helping expand and grow their operations in the UK.”
