Plans submitted to Government for £300m biomass plant

The company, which presented its plans for the Portbury Dock Renewable Energy Plant to the local community in June, is hoping for a decision within the next 12 months from the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) on the £300 million development.

Under the proposals, the plant will have a 150 megawatt (MW) capacity – enough to power approximately 200,000 homes and displace 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. It will burn carbon neutral fuels, such as waste wood, the majority of which will be brought to the plant by ship.

Dave Rogers, regional director for E.ON's renewables business said biomass, including the Portbury Dock plant, had a vital role to play in the UK's future energy mix. "This scheme alone will displace more than 450,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, which is the equivalent of taking around 150,000 cars off UK roads," he said. "The development will also make a significant contribution towards meeting the Government's renewable energy targets."

E.ON claims that local support for the plant has so far been fairly positive. A spokesperson confirmed there had been some local concerns regarding traffic around the plant, but E.ON hopes these had been overcome by its proposed traffic systems.

If the project gets the green light, construction is expected to begin in 2010 and would be fully operational by 2014. The site is expected to create 35 full-time jobs within the local area.

Portbury Dock is the third of E.ON's biomass developments in the UK. The company already operates Scotland's largest dedicated biomass power station at Steven's Croft near Lockerbie and, earlier this year, received permission for a 25 MW biomass station in Sheffield.

Meanwhile, DECC recently approved plans for a 60 MW biomass plant in Essex and a 95 MW renewable plant in Cheshire. All plans for power plants over 50 MW need to be approved by the Government.