Construction begins on England biomass plant

Construction has begun on a previously announced 40-MWe biomass cogeneration facility in Stockton-on Tees, County Durham, in North East England.

The £160 million ($242 million) Port Clarence Renewable Energy Plant, funded by U.K. financial institution Glennmont Partners, is a project originally launched by company Eco2, which secured planning for the plant in 2014 and has partnered with Babcock Wilcox Lagan to construct the facility.

According to a project update issued by Glennmont, the plant is being built on land that has remained empty for many years and is situated on the north bank of the River Tees. It will be fueled by wood waste, which will be supplied by Stobart Energy via a previously awarded contract. According to the agreement, Stobart will source, process and supply 250,000 metric tons of recycled waste wood to the plant annually for 14 years, equating to 3.5 million metric tons over the life of the contract.

The plant will generate enough power for the 75,000 homes and is scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2018. There are currently 40 people employed on the site, according to Glennmont, a number expected to rise to 300 at the peak of the construction period.  Once operational in 2018, 30 people will be directly employed at the plant.

Murray Paterson, U.K. Biomass Manager at Glennmont Partners, said that the existing road and electrical infrastructure make the Port Clarence area an ideal location for the facility.

Glennmont plants to launch a project website this month, www.portclarenceenegy.co.uk, which will provide additional information on the project and provide local residents, businesses and other interested parties with regular updates on the construction of the project.