According to the Manchester-based firm, plans are progressing on schedule for the 5 million facility to open next year after plans were first announced in May 2013 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Redundant buildings on the 50-acre Hazlehead site have been demolished and the plant is now open for receipt of waste wood material.
Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the installation of processing equipment, which will take place early next year. Production on the site will then start when energy producer E.ONs biomass plant near Sheffield to which the material will be sent opens in mid-2014.
The facility will primarily produce recycled wood chip fuel as the sole supplier for the 120 million, 30MW biomass energy plant, which is currently under construction at Blackburn Meadows (see letsrecycle.com story).
The waste wood will come to Hazlehead from council civic amenity sites, skip hire firms, pallet manufacturers and joinery workshops. This will be processed prior to delivery to E.ON.
‘Were pleased to see work progressing on schedule at Hazlehead’
Jamie Plevin, managing director, R Plevin & Sons
Plevin & Sons won the contract to supply the E.ON plant in November 2011, which the firm described as the most lucrative contract in its 38-year history (see letsrecycle.com story). The contract will last for the lifetime of the plant, which would normally be 25 years.
Recruitment
R Plevin & Sons is currently undergoing a recruitment process for staff to work at the Hazlehead plant and has already taken on several new employees.
Jamie Plevin, managing director of R Plevin & Sons, said: Were pleased to see work progressing on schedule at Hazlehead.
He added: We have had a great response to the start of our recruitment drive, and have already hired three new members of staff, two machine drivers and a load inspector, who will prove integral to the sites success. Later in the year, we will start recruiting for further posts at Hazlehead.
The firm is being assisted with the recruitment process by the Barnsley Development Agency a partner in the South Yorkshire Sector Growth Enhancement Programme (SYSGEP), which is part-financed by the European Union’s 2007-13 European Regional Development Fund.
The Agencys SYSGEP sector growth manager, Steve Hawkins, said: Were delighted to welcome Plevin to Barnsley. Its quite a coup for the borough to be chosen as a manufacturing base for such a major supplier to the green energy sector and we look forward to continuing to support them as they create valuable jobs in the area.
As well as processing biomass fuel, Plevin & Sons manufactures a wood-based products, such as materials for the panel board industry and animal bedding for livestock, equestrian and small animals.
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