Recycling firm set up to supply Teesside biomass plant

UK Wood Recycling has been started by Manchester-based Hadfield Wood Recyclers to process waste wood suitable for use in the neighbouring biomass power generation facility.

” This project will recycle all types of non hazardous wood, but particularly low grade wood, a growing but difficult to re-use source “
– Geoff Hadfield, UK Wood Recycling
Based on a site near the biomass power plant, the new company will recycle all types of non-hazardous wood at the plant – including low grade materials such as MDF, chipboard, melamine, plain chipboard, hardboard, plywood and laminates.

The recycling operation is set to be up and running from June, following a 4 million investment. It will be taking in between 100,000 and 200,000 tonnes of material each year, with about 80,000 tonnes going to the power plant.

Geoff Hadfield, managing director of UKWR, said: “Around 10 million tonnes of waste wood is produced every year in the UK and of that, only 1.5 million tonnes is recycled. The remainder gets sent to landfill creating methane gasses and contributing to global warming.

“This project will recycle all types of non hazardous wood, but particularly low grade wood, a growing but difficult to re-use source,” he added.

Biomass

The new biomass plant is constructed and operated by services company SembCorp Utilities UK, it will produce 30 MW of electricity when operations begin next year.

Toby Beadle, Biomass fuels buyer at SembCorp Utilities UK, said: “Around 80,000 tonnes of wood chip will be supplied to the Wilton 10 biomass power station, the plant is due to be up and running by mid 2007.”

Recycled wood chip will be one of the four types of biomass fuel burnt at the Wilton 10 Biomass Power Station. Other materials used as fuel at the plant will come from fuel crops including short rotation willow coppice as well as sawmill co-products and small roundwood.

Meanwhile, UK Wood Recycling will also use its recycled wood to produce animal bedding and woodchips for use in composting operations.

The company received a grant for 240,000 from regional development agency One NorthEast towards the plant.

Ian Williams, head of One NorthEast's business investment and finance team, said: “We are delighted to have been able to play our part in this environmentally beneficial project which will be a major business asset to the Tees Valley and the North East as a whole.”