MGT Power proposes second major biomass plant in North East

If granted planning permission, the proposed 295 megawatt (MW) Tyne Renewable Energy Plant (Tyne REP) will generate enough electricity for 600,000 homes when completed. MGT Power has chosen a site  on industrial land in the Port of Tyne, North Shields, 10 kilometres east of Newcastle on the River Tyne for the proposed plant. If it receives consent, the plant should be in commercial operation by 2014.

MGT Power is also behind Tees Renewable Energy Plant, which secured planning consent from the Government on July 15 and is scheduled to start operating in 2012.

North Tyneside Mayor, Linda Arkley said the Tyne REP would bring substantial benefits to the borough and the wider region. "[It represents] an investment of over £400 million, the creation of hundreds of construction jobs, future permanent on-site jobs, 300–400 indirect jobs and an annual spend of £30 million in the local economy.”

Chris Moore, director of MGT Power added: “With the Government committed to more renewable electricity generation over the next decade, our Tyne biomass project along with our consented scheme at Teesport will make a significant contribution to the Government’s targets. 

"Large-scale biomass projects can operate at baseload and each scheme will produce in one year as much green electricity as the largest 1,000 MW wind farm project.  Each biomass project will also save 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 from being emitted every year.”

The plants will use around 2.4 million tonnes of woodchips per annum sourced from certified sustainable forestry projects in North and South America and the Baltic States – and in the longer-term UK sources.  MGT Power claims the biomass is clean burning woodchip, delivering 95 per cent greenhouse gas savings in comparison to coal or natural gas through the life cycle.

Moore said MGT Power would consul widely from the start, both with key organisations and local people, on the Tyne RET and will hold a public exhibition of its plans in September. "We see the Tyne project as not only a major green power project for the UK, but one that will contribute positively to the local area and the North East economy, primarily in terms of local investment and employment," he said.