A forestry trade association has raised fears that a £60million green energy centre in the north-east could displace jobs and damage the environment.
The Confederation of Forest Industries (ConFor) is worried that the proposed Inverurie biomass plant will secure the 250,000 tonnes of wood it needs at the expense of local businesses.
It will write to First Minister and local MSP Alex Salmond to seek assurances about the operation.
ConFor chief executive Stuart Goodall said: “Scotland’s wood resource is finite, and in demand. This valuable resource must be used in a way that contributes most to a low-carbon economy.
“The site will need about 250,000 tonnes of wood fuel every year and that amount of extra wood doesn’t exist in the north-east. This means demand for wood starting to outstrip supply – and could see wood supplies displaced from existing businesses.”
And he said biomass – which is seen as a key part of the renewable energy revolution – can have a negative impact on the environment.
“Locking up carbon in solid wood is the most carbon-efficient and employment-generating way to use wood, with local, smaller-scale heat and power for energy an effective way of complementing that,” he said.
Mr Goodall said the proposal for Inverurie is not on the same scale as other projects but the Scottish Government “must be mindful” of its potential impact.
Tom Bruce Jones, joint managing director of James Jones and Sons, which has four sawmills in the north-east, said his business relies on long-term supplies.
He added: “It is neither good for the local economy nor for the environment to be displacing local jobs, especially when our products have a higher carbon value.”
A spokesman for the consortium of companies behind the proposal said: “Our proposed green energy centre will be a good fit for the region and we are confident our wood supply procurement plan can be delivered locally with no displacement.”
Mr Salmond said the developers made it clear they had fully researched their plans.
