Forth Energy confirms waste would be part of biomass mix
Forth Energy, the company behind plans to build a biomass plant at Dundee's waterfront, has confirmed it will seek a permit allowing it to burn waste materials in the fuel mix.
- By Bruce Robbins
- Published in the Courier : 14.06.10
- Published online : 14.06.10 @ 09.56am
That would put the plant on the same footing as the city's waste-to-energy incinerator at Baldovie, although the company has said that it will stick to recovered timber for the extra material.
The bulk of the fuel that would be used to power the plant would be in the form of imported virgin wood chip or pellets. However, many biomass plants also utilise secondhand timber in the combustion process.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) recently warned Forth Energy that it would have to meet strict requirements of the Waste Incineration Directive (WID) if it wanted to burn recovered wood, because of the chemicals timber is often treated with to preserve it.
That is the same set of conditions under which the Baldovie incinerator operates.
SEPA said, "Where an installation burns waste or waste in combination with another fuel, the facility is classified as an incineration plant rather than a combustion or large combustion plant and is required to meet the stringent requirements of the waste incineration directive.
"It is essential that the applicant makes clear at the earliest opportunity whether the proposed facility will burn any waste materials such as treated timber."
Forth Energy has now made it clear that it intends to meet the WID criteria.
A spokesman said, "Our intention is to seek permission to include the option to use recovered timber as part of our overall fuel mix, estimated at around 2% of the total fuel requirement.
"Using recovered timber as a fuel type has important environmental benefits as its diversion from landfill reduces methane emissions, a significant greenhouse gas, from the decomposition of organic material."
The spokesman added, "The proposed plant will be subject to the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) Scotland Regulations 2000.
"Under these regulations, and prior to any plant operation, we will require a PPC permit issued by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency."
Forth Energy said it did not anticipate problems should the plant go ahead.
The spokesman said, "The control of emissions from the proposed plant is the subject of rigorous studies in relation to air quality and ...dispersion modelling as part of our environmental impact assessment.
"The output from this work will be reviewed by SEPA against strict emission control requirements prior to any consent being granted."
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