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Grangemouth biomass station approved

3 Jun 2013 02:23 PM

Planning consent has been granted for combined heat and power biomass plant for the Port of Grangemouth.

The plant is expected to generate up to 120MW of renewable electricity – the equivalent of the amount needed to power around 130,000 homes.  The plant will also supply local businesses and industry with up to 200 megawatts thermal (MWth) of renewable heat. It will therefore make a valuable contribution to Scotland’s ambitions to decarbonise electricity generation.

The plant will bring up to 500 jobs to the area during construction, and 70 permanent jobs.

The consent includes  conditions to ensure the plant burns fuel from sustainable and responsible sources, to control the appearance of the development, to protect the environment and air quality and to keep the local community informed about the progress of the development, as well as a condition for a Domestic Virgin Wood Biomass Fuel Supply Strategy to ensure appropriate management of any use by the generating station of domestic virgin wood biomass.

Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said:

“The construction of the combined heat and power plant at the Port of Grangemouth will create up to 500 jobs during construction and 70 permanent jobs, as well as generating up to 120MW of renewable electricity and 200MWth of renewable heat for local business and industry.

“In consenting this application I have put in place a series of conditions to protect local residents from inconvenience, safeguard the appearance of the area, and protect the environment and air quality. The conditions to the consent also ensure that the fuel used in the biomass is from sustainable and responsible sources.”

Developers Forth Energy Ltd applied to the Scottish Government for consent to construct and operate the Port of Grangemouth biomass renewable energy plant on 17 September 2010, and supplied supplementary environmental information in January 2012. A Public Local Inquiry was held from 21 May to 1 June 2012, and after this the Reporter recommended consent should be granted to the project, subject to conditions.