Green power proposal

E.ON announced today that it has submitted a planning application to build a £60m biomass power station at Blackburn Meadows in Sheffield.

Rated at 25MW, the new renewable energy plant would produce enough power for around 40,000 homes by burning a combination of recycled wood, forestry residue and specially grown crops such as willow and elephant grass.

E.ON further claims that the plant would also displace the emission of around 80,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year by burning ‘carbon neutral' fuel in place of fossil fuels. The company is also looking at opportunities to supply heat to neighbouring commercial and industrial establishments.

E.ON Blackburn Meadows project manager Dr Nilton Chan, said: ‘Our plans include spending more than £1bn a year in building a balanced mix of nuclear, cleaner coal, gas and renewable power stations to reduce our carbon emissions and to ensure secure and affordable energy supplies.’

If the project is approved, construction is expected to start early in 2009, with the first power being produced in 2011.