Switch on for Power Plant Fuelled By Grass
May 30 - Birmingham Post; Birmingham (UK)
Britain's first major electricity plant to be fuelled by grass has been given the go-ahead.
It will be capable of supplying 2,000 homes with electricity.
About 170 local farmers are now diversifying into growing the energy crop to
feed the two megawatt steam-turbine generator at the Raleigh Hall Industrial
Estate, in Eccleshall. Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands has
approved a pounds 935,000 grant to developers Eccleshall Biomass Ltd towards the
cost of the plant's construction which will begin later this year.
The firm's director Amanda Gray confirmed that funding and planning
permission were in place.
Ms Gray added: 'Energy crops offer a genuinely sustainable and
environment-friendly alternative source of business to farmers as well as
helping to meet our obligations in reducing carbon emissions.'
An AWM spokesman said agricultural activities accounted for nearly 75 per
cent of land use in the region and said the plant would play a vital role in
regenerating the rural areas. The plant will operate for 8,000 hours a year on a
24-hour basis and save one tonne per hour of carbon dioxide
The pounds 6.5 million bio-energy power station in Staffordshire will be run
on elephant grass n It will be capable of supplying 2,000 homes with electricity
n About 170 local farmers are now diversifying into growing the energy crop to
feed the two megawatt steam-turbine generator near Stafford
The plant will operate for 8,000 hours a year on a 24hour basis and save one
tonne per hour of carbon dioxide n The UK is currently responsible for three per
cent of global greenhouse gas emissions even though it has only one per cent of
the world's population Power stations produce over a third of the carbon
dioxide(54 million tonnes) produced by the UK n The Government wants ten per
cent of the UK's electricity to be supplied by renewable sources by 2010 and 20
per cent by 2020Renewable energy plays a key part in the aim to reduce carbon
emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.