Inspenet. February 8, 2026
UK-based NDT firm PTS Group has been appointed as the exclusive inspection and maintenance provider at a new waste to energy facility in Cheshire, a project expected to feed nearly 70 MW into the national grid.
Confirmed facts
PTS Group, a company specializing in non-destructive testing (NDT), has been appointed as the exclusive inspection provider at the Lostock waste to energy (WtE) plant, currently under construction in northwest England. The scope includes inspection activities during equipment installation as well as maintenance tasks once the facility enters operation.
The project, developed by an energy infrastructure consortium, is scheduled for an approximately 18-month construction phase. Once commissioned, the plant is designed to deliver close to 70 MW of electrical power to the UK grid while processing hundreds of thousands of tons of non-recyclable waste annually.
Technical context of the asset
WtE facilities integrate critical systems such as combustion units, boilers, heat exchangers, steam lines, turbines and auxiliary equipment operating under demanding thermal and mechanical conditions. In this environment, the systematic application of NDT techniques — including ultrasonic testing, industrial radiography and surface inspection methods — is essential to identify discontinuities, corrosion mechanisms, thermal fatigue and fabrication or installation defects prior to start-up.
During construction, dimensional control and weld integrity verification reduce early-life failure risks and rework. In operation, periodic inspection programs enable condition-based maintenance strategies aimed at maximizing availability and operational safety.
Operational importance of the plant
The Lostock facility forms part of the infrastructure supporting urban and industrial waste management while contributing to baseload electricity generation. Its operational reliability directly affects grid supply continuity and compliance with environmental targets linked to landfill diversion.
Appointing a single NDT provider supports standardized inspection criteria, traceability of findings, and integration of asset integrity data across the plant’s lifecycle.
Market impact
The growing deployment of WtE facilities across Europe is driving demand for specialized mechanical integrity and advanced inspection services. For the NDT ecosystem, these contracts reinforce the need for capabilities suited to high-temperature environments, corrosive atmospheres, and continuous operation.
Providers with regional presence and cross-sector experience are increasingly positioned as strategic partners in non-conventional energy projects, where safety and asset availability are central to project economics.
What’s next?
In the coming months, activities will focus on critical weld oversight, acceptance testing of rotating equipment, and preparation of inspection programs for the commissioning phase. As the plant moves toward commercial operation, technical efforts will shift to in-service integrity monitoring and predictive maintenance of high-criticality components.