The plant, which is due to be operational in 2006, will involve the construction of a new power station at Wilton on an existing industrial site. Planning permissions are still to be sought but SembCorp Utilities Teesside says it is optimistic that the project will get the go-ahead.
If the project is successfully established it will provide an important additional route for waste wood in light of limitations within the UK boardmaking sector on the amounts of waste wood that can be consumed. Currently there are few other major power plants which are using wood as a feedstock although Slough Heat & Power Ltd
is taking in wood as a coal substitute at its plant in Berkshire.
Chemical
SembCorp project manager Terry Waldron said: “We will be providing power for chemical manufacturers in the area and this site is located in a region with a tradition of heavy industry.”
He emphasised that one of the key factors in going ahead with the project will be establishing a supply chain of material. “It is essential that we secure a supply chain in advance and we have already had a successful set of meetings with farmers in the region.”
Mr Waldron added that these two steps are part of a drive to achieve full sanction for the project in mid 2004.
The plant will need 150,000 tonnes p.a. of oven-dry equivalent biomass materials. Suitable materials will include short rotation coppice, waste wood, sawmill co-products, roundwood and forestry residues. About 40% of the feed – 60,000 tonnes – will come from waste wood.
Procurement
To source the waste wood for the plant the company has appointed Toby Beadle of Urban Harvest Limited to head the procurement team. Mr Beadle, who has been an adviser on wood to WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme,
said: “The SembCorp project will be totally new-build and our experience indicates that it will comply with the Waste Incineration Directive. It will use a substantial amount of waste wood – up to 40% will come from this source.
“Our intention is to be able to burn run of the mill waste wood which will include material that is not packaging waste.”
SembCorp has appointed Fichtner Consulting Engineers based in Stockport as engineer for the project, working primarily on the boiler and fuel handling design and equipment procurement. The intention is to go out to tender to potential boiler suppliers in January 2004.
From January, SembCorp's waste wood purchasing team can be contacted on 01642 212151.
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