A new biomass partnership is looking forward to a year of rapid growth following a well-attended open day at which visitors saw a working biomass system in action.
The new venture was formed earlier this year when low-carbon heating business Natural Warmth teamed up with the owner of Barningham Estate in Teesdale to create a new biomass business located on the estate.
One of the largest green projects on Teesside is now ready to build following the government ruling on Renewables Obligations Certificates (ROCs).
MGT Power, the company behind a biomass power station planned for Teesport, will create hundreds of jobs and generate £30m for the local economy.
A collaboration between the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) and Tata Steel, the Thermal Technologies Centre opened for business this week in Middlesbrough.
Based at Tata Steel’s Teesside Technology Centre, the £5m centre provides an open access facility which will pioneer new ways of turning materials such as biomass into high grade fuels and energy.
North Energy, based near Stocksfield, Northumberland is winning work by linking investors to people with land, suitable for wind turbines largely due to the rapid growth in interest in renewable energy prompted by the Government’s Feed In Tariffs (FIT’s) scheme.
A network of new merchant wind companies are emerging to take advantage of the Government incentives – these businesses have the capital and financial expertise to help landowners who wish to enter the renewables market – North Energy, is working with businesses keen to invest in wind turbines of all sizes.
The Government have this week launched a new biomass strategy underpinning a sector supporting 50,000 jobs and aiming to produce 11 per cent of the UK’s energy by 2020 – Energy Ministers from 23 of the world’s leading economies convened in London this week to accelerate the development and deployment of clean energy technology.
Participating governments at the summit account for 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per cent of global clean energy investment, so the key players were all in attendance.
A new demonstration biomass plant is being built at Wilton following a £100,000 investment. Biomass CHP’s wood-chip gasification process has won fresh investment from Finance for Business North East Proof of Concept Fund, which is managed by Northstar Ventures, to develop the technology.
Biomass CHP’s wood-chip gasification process produces renewable heat and energy without generating liquid effluent which would otherwise need to be disposed of and treated. Disposal issues are one of a number of reasons why gasification of biomass has not yet been widely exploited.
Potential customers will be able to see first-hand how the process works by utilising the demonstration plant. Interest is likely to come from factories, industrial parks, leisure centres and schools who are not only seeking to control energy costs, but also reduce their carbon footprint. Biomass CHP is targeting its process at a wide variety of customers in both the public and private sectors.
Source: nebusiness.co.uk
Link: http://bit.ly/AnxUwZ
Funding has been secured for a biomass super-plant which will generate 900 jobs and provide enough electricity to power 600,000 homes.
The company behind the plant, MGT Power, confirmed it had secured £300m funding from banks, with the remaining £300m coming from equity investors.
Recruitment for the project, which will be based at Teesport, will see 900 jobs created during the three years that the plant is under construction with a further 150 long-term jobs on site and around 300 vacancies created within the supply chain.
MGT director Chris Moore said: “We are confident about finding the right staff locally because we know the workforce well. Teesside is fortunate in having a very advanced, technologically focused workforce, with a long and proud heritage in the construction and operation of the UK’s largest power station assets.”
The plant will generate enough electricity to power 600,000 homes and will save 1.2m tonnes of carbon emissions.