Our Proposals - Flintshire County Council Applications

The consultation for the Flintshire County Council applications in now closed. Thank you to everyone who took time to provide feedback. Eren Holding and Shotton Mill will now review the feedback to the plans. 

The proposals that will be submitted to Flintshire County Council for consideration include the erection of a new building, with ancillary structures, to accommodate a boiler. The boiler will be used to generate power for approximately one year, until the proposed Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) is installed (more information on the CHP can be found in the ‘Welsh Government Application’ section of this website).

The location of the proposed boiler building sits within Shotton Mill.

Another planning application will be submitted to Flintshire County Council to build an additional workshop and two tanks. These features will necessitate the safe and efficient running of operations at the Mill and help support the expansion of Shotton Mill and the delivery of wider benefits.

A separate Section 73 application will also be submitted to propose a number of small changes to the previously approved planning application. These include amendments of various drawings that will seek to improve the safety and functioning of the Mill.

What do you think about our proposals? Tell us what you think by completing the feedback form here for the Flintshire County Council application to be submitted to the Welsh Government. 

The minor amendments comprise of:
  • Improved parking layout with additional parking throughout;
  • Improved internal road layout;
  • Building 20 (Old Corrugated Cardboard ‘OCC’) has been extended;
  • The parking layout and road to the south of the OCC have changed as a result of the OCC extension;
  • The pipe bridge has been extended so as it now serves the paper machine building and Recovered Fibre Building; 
  • Two ponds (approved under SAB application and included for completeness);
  • Building 3 60M x 50M (Dispatch Area) has been extended to include a lorry canopy
  • The Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) layout has been amended; and
  • Various tank locations have changed (for example to the west of the recovered fibre building)

Benefits - Flintshire County Council Applications

Faster Route to Reduced CO2 Emissions

Shotton Mill’s plan to advance the construction of a boiler building and ancillary structures will ensure that the Mill is ready to house the new Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP). The new CHP will have an efficiency of approximately 90%, making it a low-carbon source of energy. The decision to build the boiler building ahead of securing the CHP will allow Shotton Mill to be prepared to start generating cleaner power once the CHP application has been finalised.

This technology is considered to be the best available currently for the manufacture of paper products. In the future we aim to be able to utilise Hydrogen gas as a fuel source and Shotton Mill is currently active in a number of projects to enable Hydrogen supply both to Shotton Mill and the Deeside area. The CHP design has allowed for 20% Hydrogen (H2) within the fuel blend. Design allows for component replacement to fire 100% Hydrogen (H2) once available to site.

Employment Benefits for Flintshire and Wales

The boiler building and ancillary structures will assist Shotton Mill in further expanding its on-site operations. This expansion, in turn, will generate additional high-quality job opportunities for individuals seeking a career in manufacturing. Scaling operations at the Mill necessitates a skilled workforce, with job roles spanning mechanical and process engineers, maintenance staff, plant operators, warehouse personnel, office workers, and drivers.

During the construction period, Eren Holding expects to create 375 jobs to facilitate the interim construction of the boiler building and associated ancillary structures.

More recycling

Shotton Mill plays a pivotal role in the UK’s recycling infrastructure network. Recycled paper and other recyclable materials, such as glass and plastics collected by local councils from households across the UK, are transported to the site for reprocessing. The expansion of operations through the construction of a boiler building and ancillary structures will ensure the increased recycling of wastepaper. This development will enable 800,000t of recovered fibre currently being exported overseas to be processed in Wales at our site.

Considerations

During the development of our proposals, we have considered the site and the local area. You can find more information on each of these aspects below:

Design

Our design considerations are outlined in our Design & Access Statement Document. Furthermore, you can read our extensive assessment to ensure the culture, heritage and archaeology of the site is protected.

Traffic & Highways

As we expand operations at Shotton Mill, we will maintain the current access off Weighbridge Road, within Deeside Industrial Park, as it is already a direct connection onto the A548 dual carriageway and motorway network. We may use an additional access point for certain construction purposes, but these will also be located off Weighbridge Road.

Flooding

Shotton Mill is slightly elevated above the surrounding area and is not at risk of flooding. Our plans to repurpose and expand the current Mill will not increase flood risk locally. Furthermore, our proposals include an outline drainage scheme.

Ecology

The site is close to the Dee Estuary which is an important wildlife area. We have worked closely with specialist consultants, including ornithologists, and stakeholders such as Natural Resources Wales to ensure that we thoroughly understand the possible effects of construction and our future operations on wildlife, and how we can avoid disruption. The proposed development will include new measures to benefit wildlife which can be found in the full Ecology and Nature Conservation Report.

Sustainability

Eren Holding is committed to ensuring the paper mill is sustainable. As such, a Sustainability Statement has been prepared.

Noise & Air

Whilst developing our plans for Shotton Mill, we have paid particular attention to ensuring the noise from the plant and machinery is minimised. From previous experience and discussion with stakeholders, we understand that noise can travel if not effectively managed.

Our engineers have designed new features to ensure that any loud equipment is enclosed within the buildings as far as possible from residential areas. As a result, we expect noise levels at nearby locations to be much reduced/minimal.

On air emissions, our plans to expand and repurpose Shotton Mill are focused on using modern technologies and the latest techniques which will minimise air pollution. Further details can be found in the Air Quality and Odour Assessment.

Documentation

All documentation, as well as additional documents not outlined above, can be accessed via this link here.  

The Environmental Impact access can be viewed separately here.  

Virtual Exhibition

Tell Us What You Think

Thank you for taking the time to look at our proposals.

The consultation on the Flintshire County Council applications is now closed. However, you can still respond to the Welsh Government consultation on the Combined Heat and Power Plant until Tuesday 2nd January 2024. You can also still get in touch with the development team with the methods provided below:

  • Calling us on the community information line on 0333 358 0502 (Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.30pm)
  • Emailing us at: shottonmillconsultation@havingyoursay.co.uk
  • Writing to us at Shotton Mill Limited (or Shotton Mill Limited CHP), c/o Lexington Communications, Third Floor Queens House, Queen Street, Manchester M2 5HT

We look forward to hearing from you.

Please ensure all feedback is provided by Tuesday 19th April for the Flintshire County Council applications

Who is Eren Holding?

Established in 1969, Eren Holding is a family run conglomerate headquartered in Istanbul, Turkey. It has business interests in paper, packaging, cement, energy, retail and port operations. Modern Karton, the paper manufacturing subsidiary, is an expert in producing paper and packaging by using 100% recycled fibres. Within its paper factory in Turkey, 1.2 million tonnes of paper are produced annually, making it the largest paper manufacturer in Turkey and one of the top 10 paper companies in Europe.