A subsidiary of property and holdings firm Peel Group has on July 15 revealed plans to develop a 20MW biomass facility in Trafford, in Greater Manchester, which would use locally-sourced waste wood as its primary feedstock.
The company said the proposed Barton Renewable Energy Plant would cost £70 million to develop on land on the south side of the Manchester Ship Canal near Barton High Level Bridge in Trafford.
The Manchester-based company's renewable energy subsidiary Peel Energy intends to submit a planning application to Trafford council in the autumn, with a view to the plant becoming operational in mid-2014.
The feedstock for the 200,000 tonnes-a-year capacity facility would be drawn from a range of material, including: waste wood; agricultural residues from harvesting and processing; virgin timber residues from forestry processes; and, energy crops, such as coppiced willow and miscanthus.
Commenting on the proposal, Jon England, project director at Peel Energy, said: "Our venture into dedicated biomass-fired energy generation will contribute towards government targets for higher levels of renewable electricity generation and help provide secure energy supplies for the region."
The company said the proposed location had been chosen due to its proximity to existing infrastructure and claimed it would not require any new overhead cables and pylons as electricity generated would be distributed to the National Grid by an underground cable.
Peel said that the location would also allow renewable heat generated by the Barton plant to be fed to businesses and local houses via an underground pipe network.
Consultation
The company is set to consult with Trafford and Salford councils, the Environment Agency, the Highways Agency, members of the public and other organisations about the proposal.
Mr England said: "We are keen to hear from as many interested parties as possible during our consultation phase and I would encourage you to drop in and see is at the public consultation."
A public consultation is being held at the Powerleague Trafford Soccer Dome next week on Tuesday July 20 and Wednesday July 21.
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