Woodburning power station plan

Nov 28 2008 by Aled Blake, Western Mail

A BIOMASS power station powered by waste wood that cannot be recycled could be on its way to South Wales.

Plans have been submitted to Neath Port Talbot Council to build the plant by Western Log Group, which claims it would be one of the most advanced green energy plants in Europe.

It will be situated next to Western Log’s existing biomass plant in Longlands Lane at Margam.

Western Log and its partner, Rockfield Energy have now put in plans for a “greener” second phase which it says will be “one of Europe’s most advanced green energy plants” because of advances in clean renewable energy technology.

Biomass is organic material that is burned and the proposed plant would use waste wood that can’t be recycled, to generate 35 megawatts of electricity, equivalent to the power consumption of 65,000 homes – which is more than the domestic use of Neath Port Talbot.

The facility will take advantage of recent advances in energy from waste (EFW) technology which means the entire process at the plant will only produce electricity and steam.

The steam has negligible trace emissions which are well within strict Environment Agency guidelines.

The Environment Agency has access to all information on the emissions data via a continuous computer link.

About 30 jobs would be created at the site with further jobs being safeguarded in the Welsh forestry and timber industries, as the fuel would come from domestic sources and not from abroad.

Commercial and residential waste wood which would usually be destined for local landfill sites would also be processed at the site.

Adrian Whittall, commercial director of Western Log Group, said: “EFW technology has made giant strides forward recently and the proposed new facility will be among the world’s most advanced green energy biomass facilities.

“This is a major project for us and for Wales because biomass is a carbon neutral fuel with huge potential for both energy generation and the domestic forestry and timber industries.

“The project will create jobs, both directly and indirectly, in the local area as we are committed to using local suppliers for our fuel needs.

“We will also be using waste wood that cannot be recycled for alternative use, sourced from the construction and demolition industries, municipal waste and commercial and industrial waste that otherwise would end up going to local landfill, so it is the ultimate in green energy.

“Our original site has proven to be a real success, quietly operating now for more than two months and in many ways, it has gone unnoticed by the people of Port Talbot, as it is so unobtrusive. Our proposed investment in this second facility will assist the authority in its efforts to meeting EU targets relating to renewable energy, as well as considerably reduce the amount of wood waste going to landfill locally as we are expecting to use around 335,000 tonnes of wood each year.”

Many industry experts suggest that biomass has to play the primary role in helping the EU to meet its challenging target of generating 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020.

One of the UK’s leading low- carbon and renewable energy consultants, Dr Andrew Jolly of Equis, is advising the Western Log Group to deliver the plant.

He said: “Using biomass in this way will reduce carbon emissions and thereby play an important role in tackling climate change. At present there is a huge amount of available biomass currently going to landfill that is being ignored.

“Waste should only go to landfill after all recyclable parts have been recovered and then the rest burned to produce clean, green energy. We are utilising the very latest technology to ensure that this new facility is as clean and green as possible.

“Energy for waste technology provides double the environmental benefit of other biomass energy, firstly through the diversion of waste from landfill, and secondly, the recovery of energy, displacing fossil fuel alternatives and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Such have been the advances in technology that there are now many processes available with the aim of handling waste to produce reliable and efficient generation of electricity and heat, that comply with strict EU emission standards.

“Further to this, all EU member states must meet strict targets relating to renewable energy sources by 2010, making the necessity for such clean, green facilities all the more urgent.”