According to E.ON UK, the 25MW plant would displace the emission of around 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to taking more than 20,000 cars off UK roads each year. The company hopes that this will contribute to the Yorkshire and Humber region’s target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2010.
In addition to the displacement of carbon emissions, the company is investigating the potential for supplying heat to neighboring commercial and industrial establishments, further boosting the project’s green status and efficiency.
E.ON UK project developer Dr Nilton Chan said: It’s through projects like this that we can change the way that we produce energy in the UK, helping keep the lights on at the same time as reducing the impact we have on our environment.
The scoping statement has been submitted to authorities including Sheffield City Council and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, and outlines the proposed project, including the potential environmental impact of the new development.
E.ON UK hopes that a full planning application will be submitted to the council later in 2007, following the completion of initial design activities and environmental studies. The company said that, if the project gets the green light, construction is expected to start early in 2009, with the first power being produced in 2011.
Blackburn Meadows is the second of E.ON UK’s biomass developments, with construction nearing completion at the UK’s largest dedicated biomass power station at Steven’s Croft near Lockerbie, Scotland.
