U.K.'s Largest Biomass CHP Plant Opens

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The largest biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant in the U.K. has been opened in Fife, Scotland.

The Markinch Biomass CHP plant in Glenrothes, Fife, has an installed capacity of up to 65-megawatts (MW). It is located on the site of the operational Tullis Russell paper manufacturers, providing all of the company's electricity and steam needs, with the excess going to the grid and powering around 45,000 homes. It is fuelled by approximately 90% recovered wood waste and 10% virgin wood sourced from sustainably managed forests.

The plant replaces the former 1950's coal and gas fired CHP power station on the site and will cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by around 250,000 tonnes per annum, said developer RWE Innogy, part of Germany's second largest power company RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany). Tullis Russell, which has been making premium paper and board on the site for more than 200 years, said the new plant will help protect more than 500 jobs.

"This is the largest of its kind in the U.K. and is not only an asset to Scotland but will also help us deliver our target of 11% of non-electrical heat demand by renewable sources by 2020," said Fergus Ewing, Scotland's Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, opening the plant. "With the help of a Scottish Enterprise grant this plant has also helped safeguard 500 jobs in the local papermakers, Tullis Russell, which has been open over 200 years. Over 600 temporary jobs were created during the construction process and around 40 additional permanent jobs have been created at Markinch and the Offsite Fuel Processing Facility at Cardenden."

Chris Parr, Chief Executive of Tullis Russell Group said: "This has been a major project for Fife and for our business, the importance of which cannot be overstated. The plant delivers a modern, economical and sustainable source of renewable power for Tullis Russell, reduces our carbon emissions by 72% and helps to safeguard the future of the 500 jobs at our Markinch base. The project has also been great for Scotland, building on the strong reputation it has for hosting world class renewable energy projects and adding to its growing armoury of generating renewable energy assets."

Norway's Aker Solutions (Oslo) secured a contract worth £115 ($175 million) to provide design, supply, installation, construction and commissioning for the plant, while Metso Oyj (OTC:MXCYY) (Helsinki, Finland) won a contract worth £75 million ($112 million) to supply a circulating fluidised bed boiler.

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