Silos for UK’s largest waste wood plant take shape

Construction is well underway on three silos which will store recycled and virgin wood feedstock for the 200 million biomass plant being developed by RWE npower renewable at Markinch in Fife.

The silos are being built by KIRK Environmental, a Lancashire-based company specialising in the design and installation of large storage tanks.

The Markinch plant will be the largest waste wood-fired biomassfacility in the UK. It is due to be commissioned later this year and be fully operational by mid 2013.

In a statement this week, KIRK Environmental explained: Work on the three woodchip storage silos commenced in mid-March and the first silo has almost reached its finished height of 18m above the ground.”

Volume

Each 20m diameter reinforced concrete structure will have a volume in excess of 5000m3. Material will be reclaimed from the silos using a Saxlund TubeFeeder discharger.

The Markinch plant will burn up to 400,000 tonnes of recycled and virgin woodchip each year to generate 50MW of renewable energy. It is being developed by energy giant RWE npower renewables in partnership with paper makers Tullis Russell, which own the site. Tullis Russell will use steam and electricity from the biomass plant to power its paper mill, with the remainder exported to the national grid.

Saxlund

KIRK is working for Southampton-based storage and material handling specialist Saxlund International, which is responsible for developing the Markinch plants fuel reception and storage area in partnership with Nottinghamshire-based converyor belt specialist Canning Conveyor.

Saxlund are subcontractors for Jacobs Engineering and Construction which are responsible for the design, procurement and construction of the plant, with the exception of the fluidised bed boiler which is being provided by Finnish technology specialist Metso Power.

Earlier this month, waste and recycling company SITA UK signed a landmark deal to supply more than 50% (200,000 tonnes-a-year) of waste wood feedstock required by the plant (see letsrecycle.com story).