Plans revealed for 45m biomass plant in South Wales

Speaking to letsrecycle.com today, Birmingham-based company Express Power said that the facility would use locally-sourced waste wood as a fuel to produce 20MW of electricity a year.

” We will be using untreated wood like palettes that is carefully selected and reclaimed timber that would ordinarily go in holes in the ground. “
– Maurice Price, Express Power
Express Power is part of the Dutch-owned Express Park Group, which also owns the Express Recycling & Plastics company based in Rainham, Essex (see letsrecycle.com story).

The company is yet to submit a planning application for the plant, its first biomass power project in the UK, but has identified South Wales as the right area for the project because of the “political willingness” for such projects there.

The plant would open up a huge potential market for waste wood in South Wales and South West England – with the plant expected to generate around 5,000 of ash, which the company believes could be used to make fertiliser.

Maurice Price, Express Power's chief executive, said: “We will cast our nets around the chosen site from local council and civic amenity sites and we shan't be importing it. We will be using untreated wood like palettes that is carefully selected and reclaimed timber that would ordinarily go in holes in the ground.”

He added: “We want to use it to make power on a carbon neutral basis as it's designed to be a seriously green project.”

Energy
Under the plans, Express Power hopes to create up to 40 long-term jobs and supply renewable energy to the National Grid.

Mr Price said: “We want to create a landmark project which improves the environment in Wales and helps meet some of the Welsh Assembly's targets on renewables.”

Mr Price explained that as the production of biomass crops increased, the plant would include them in its feedstock.

He said: “We won't stop taking recycled wood but we're trying to create something totally green.”

The venture is the first to be undertaken by Express Power, which is a small company with only six employees.

Mr Price explained: “We are focusing on this project and then the intention is to roll the plant out and then do it again.”