World's biggest biomass power plant coming to Wales

[Aurora]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/environme ... 6420071121

Reuters - 21/11/07

Britain has given the all clear to plans for the world's biggest biomass power plant in south Wales, Energy Secretary John Hutton said on Wednesday.

The 400-million pound, 350-megawatt power plant proposed by Prenergy for Port Talbot will burn wood from sustainable sources in North America, and represents 70 percent of the Welsh Assembly's total renewable energy target for 2010, when it is expected to begin operations.

"This will be the biggest biomass plant in the world, generating enough clean electricity to power half of the homes in Wales," Hutton said in a statement.

Burning organic matter like wood chips and some crops helps reduce total emissions of carbon dioxide from the energy sector because, unlike oil, gas and coal, the trees and plants absorb the planet-warming gas as they grow before they are used for fuel.

[mikepepler]

The 400-million pound, 350-megawatt power plant proposed by Prenergy for Port Talbot will burn wood from sustainable sources in North America

Well that's just great...

[Aurora]

The 400-million pound, 350-megawatt power plant proposed by Prenergy for Port Talbot will burn wood from sustainable sources in North America

Well that's just great...

The article horrified me as well Mike.

Self-congratulatory about meeting 70% of their renewable energy target while conveniently forgetting about the environmental (and financial) costs of shipping the timber to the UK.

If we leave our future energy supply requirements in the hands of companies like Prenergy, we're doomed.

[Andy Hunt]

Well, these sources might be sustainable, but aren't the Americans going to want to use them, post-peak?

Sorry - stating the blindingly obvious I know . . .

[Aurora]

Well, these sources might be sustainable, but aren't the Americans going to want to use them, post-peak?

Sorry - stating the blindingly obvious I know . . .

Obviously. Goes without saying.

[kenneal - lagger]

Surprised? No! Not at all.

A friend of mine has been importing wood pellets from South America for about three years now.

[Aurora]

http://www.green-energy-news.com/arch/n ... 70131.html

Green Energy News - 24/11/07

At a time when the US should be scrambling to build more renewable energy capacity at home it is instead on course to export a valuable homegrown renewable fuel: wood chips.

Prenergy Power Limited, of London, England has been given the go-ahead by Britain?s Department of Trade & Industry to build a 350 megawatt powerplant in Port Talbot on the south coast of Wales. The powerplant will be fueled by wood chips that are expected to be imported from the US and Canada. Wood chip fuel will arrive by ship in the deep water port or perhaps by rail car from other sources. The powerplant will burn around three million tons per year from sustainable sources.

It will be the largest biomass powerplant in the world and cost $830 million to build.

Unlike wind and solar powerplants that provide power for a portion of the day (and often at less than rated capacity), the Port Talbot Renewable Energy Plant will be a baseload generating facility that operates 24/7 at full capacity. The plant, expected to be complete in the first quarter of 2010, will provide enough power for the equivalent of half the homes in Wales. The Port Talbot plant will contribute about 70 percent of the Welsh Assembly?s 2010 renewable energy target.

The plant will be built on a 54 acre site hidden on two sides from the nearest housing by a planting-topped berm. Flue gasses will pass through a fabric filter to remove 99.99 percent of particulate matter. Combusted wood fuel will have minimal ash content, producing less than 150,000 tons per year of ash which presumably will be added to agricultural soil.

Renewable electricity generated will be exported via a new underground electrical cable.

The project is impressive but does raise some questions.

In an international effort for economies to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions it doesn?t much matter where the emissions are cut as long as they are cut somewhere resulting, eventually, in a global net reduction. However, because of emissions related to transportation of a fuel - those wood chips transported by ship for example - shouldn?t the renewable fuel be burned as close to its source as possible, not an ocean away?

Further, if there is a steady and easily attainable supply of wood chips in the Americas why hasn?t an American company - perhaps with government prodding - considered the possibility of a wood chip power plant of Port Talbot?s magnitude instead of another coal one?

The technology in a wood-fired powerplant is nearly identical to that of coal fired one.

According to the US Department of Energy by the mid-1990?s there were about 1000 wood-fired powerplants in the US, but only about a third of those provided power for sale to the grid. The others are used within industry, such as in wood products manufacturing. At that time the largest was about 50 megawatts.

[CrazyCatLady]

that is so dumb! don't they realise that it'd just be better for the earth if they dont' build the plant in the first place? Let alone ship all the biomass over....

[kenneal - lagger]

A biomass fired generation plant that used local biomass and that used its "waste" heat for something useful would be an excellent idea. Unfortunately "Green" Government is about ticking boxes rather than using their heads to produce a truly sustainable alternative.

[ecochic]

Hi....attended a lecture from an Assembly civil servant which mentioned this last week. I thoughthe said the woodchip was coming from France? Can anyone point me in the right direction on this as I want to include the proposed plant as a case study in an essay and presentation and the ship-km makes quite a difference...

Thanks.

[kenneal - lagger]

Welcome, Ecochic.

The original article said the US, but TPTB may be trying to cover their backsides by claiming some will come from France.

Where are you studying and what?

Ken

[RenewableCandy]

Welcome EcoChic!

Not heard anything about wood from France at all, it's all lies! Next they'll be claiming it's from Worthing!

[PelHeat]

Hi Everyone

Well I was just looking around the REA website, and I came across the press release for the project. In it they do not mention where the wood is coming from just that:

?The fuel will be brought in on very large ships (thereby leading to a low carbon
footprint and avoiding road congestion, as well as helping to secure the future for
one of the UK?s four deep water ports by providing long term economic
regeneration?

Well for one a ?low carbon footprint? is a none descript and completely subjective comment. I mean yes it has a low carbon footprint compared to what the space shuttle? But it?s not really the point is it.

The other thing that I thought was quite humorous is this.

?This ?300m investment will be a great boost for the local economy and is
expected to create 150 permanent jobs.?

So for spending ?300,000,000 you will be giving 150 permanent jobs! So that?s a ?2,000,000 investment for 1 permanent job, not exactly value for money.

My summary of this is that we will be dependant on foreign fuel, again. We will be increasing carbon output into the environment because constant fuel transportation over a very long distance, so what?s the point you might as well use oil from the north sea, travels less. And to top all that doesn?t really help the locally economy because 150 jobs would not employee a hamlet.

Anyway here is the link to the press release:

http://www.r-e-a.net/content/images/art ... Talbot.pdf

[RenewableCandy]

I mean yes it has a low carbon footprint compared to what the space shuttle?

That's a brilliant 1-liner which I shall probably blag, if you don't mind...

[PelHeat]

I mean yes it has a low carbon footprint compared to what the space shuttle?

That's a brilliant 1-liner which I shall probably blag, if you don't mind...

Not at all