The Scottish Government has approved Forth Energy’s giant biomass plant at Grangemouth raising speculation the company’s controversial Dundee project may also get the green light.
Grangemouth will burn wood shipped from abroad to produce electricity and heat from a complex topped by a huge stack, the same as the proposed Dundee operation.
Both will also employ up to 500 people during construction and have 70 permanent posts and have been promoted as providing a major boost to their local economies, as well as helping Scotland meet renewable energy targets.
Grangemouth, to open in 2017, will produce more heat than Dundee but that is because output can be altered to suit demand.
The Government’s approval was welcomed by Calum Wilson, Forth Energy’s managing director.
Asked about its significance for its other biomass applications it wants to build at Rosyth as well as Dundee he said: “The three applications are each very specific to their locations.”
He added: “The announcement demonstrates that the Scottish Government has valued the part low-carbon heat and electricity from biomass can play in Scotland’s renewable energy mix.”
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said: “I have put in place a series of conditions to protect local residents from inconvenience, safeguard the appearance of the area and protect the environment and air quality.
“The conditions to the consent also ensure that the fuel used in the biomass is from sustainable and responsible sources.”
Andrew Llanwarne of Friends of the Earth Tayside said the Grangemouth decision was “unbelievable” as it contradicted Scottish Government policy.
The £470m Grangemouth plant, the biggest in the country, was approved after Forth Energy produced evidence it would not breach emission limits or affect people’s health.
It will generate up to 120 megawatts of electricity to power around 130,000 homes and supply local businesses and industry with up to 200 thermal megawatts of heat.
The £325m Dundee biomass, which the company insists will be safe, would produce 100 megawatts of electricity and 30 megawatts of heat.