Government approves biomass power station in Northumberland

The green light has been given for a biomass power station in Northumberland which will provide enough electricity for all the homes in the county.

The Government said it had granted planning permission for North Blyth Energy Ltd to construct a 100MW power station which will use wood-based fuel at Blyth Harbour, Northumberland.

It is estimated that the project will produce enough renewable energy to meet the electricity demand of as many as 170,000 homes a year the equivalent of all the homes in Northumberland.

A Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesman said: “Sustainably sourced biomass has an important role to play as part of a balanced energy mix, enhancing energy security and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“If constructed, this development will help bring jobs and growth to the local economy.”

Construction of the £250 million plant is set to begin in 2014 and take around two and a half years, according to renewable energy company RES, which is behind the development.

It is RES’s first biomass plant, with the company having developed a number of onshore and offshore wind projects and solar energy schemes.