Biomass Power Station plan scrapped

DONG Energy have scrapped plans to build a power station at Queen Elizabeth Dock.

DONG Energy has reportedly cancelled its plans to build a biomass power station at Queen Elizabeth Dock. The Danish power company has said that "wider strategic decisions" have prompted the surprise move. According to quotes obtained by the BBC the company said:

"The decision to withdraw from the Humber Renewables project is based purely on wider strategic considerations. The company has taken the decision to focus on core activities such as gas-fired power stations and offshore wind developments. Sadly, this means we must withdraw our proposals to build a biomass power station near Hull."

It is a surprising move in light of the fact that DONG Energy representatives had presented the company case for the proposed power station, at a Hull City Council Scrutiny Meeting, only last week (5th October).

The decision will come as a blow to those hoping that the development might have created some local jobs and help towards strategic plans to develop a local renewable energy base of operations on the Humber.

Plans by Associated British Ports to build a deep-water berth at Queen Elizabeth dock are presumed to be still viable, but that development would have also benefited enormously from the DONG proposals.

It is still to be discovered what local people in the HU12 area think about the surprise announcement. However, local concerns had been heightened by the reports that the power station would have stood up to 100 metres high. Local people at the DONG consultation events had previously been told that the power station would have used a water cooling system that would have done away with the need to build unsightly water cooling towers such as those at BP Chemicals which stand at 85 metres high.

The Humber Renewables website set up by the company for consultation and information purposes has already been taken down.

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Consultation on new Biomass Power Plant at Queen Elizabeth Dock

DONG ENERGY have produced their Statement of Community Consultation - SCC -  in support of plans for a biomass power generating station near Queen Elizabeth Dock.

The proposed development is considered of national significance which means that special measures to consult and engage local people have to be put in place.

The SCC states how DONG Energy intend to consult people living and working in the vicinity about their proposals. This includes seeking the views and opinions of communities in Hedon, Preston and Paull.

The consultation is about DONG Energy's plans to construct a power station that will use biomass as a fuel to generate electricity. Biomass is a fuel made from a combination of woodchip and wood pellets that will be sustainably sourced from agricultural, timber and forestry operations that create bark, shavings, and sawdust. The biomass is burned under controlled conditions to produce heat, which in turn creates steam to drive turbines which generate electricity.

The proposed power plant would be capable of generating just under 300 megawatts of electricity which DONG Energy claims would be enough power to meet the needs of up to half a million houses.

People and organisations will be invited to give their views on the initial proposals and preferred options. The consultation is not limited to the specific proposals but also the impacts it might have on the local area economy and environment. This will be of interest to local environmental campaigners who have urged a careful approach to news of the biomass plant.

The SCC states DONG Energy's intention to develop a dialogue between them and local people through a programme of briefings, public exhibitions and meetings, through setting up a community liaison group, a freephone number and via a website dedicated to the project.

The consultation is expected to start this month and result in a consultation report being published in August. The SCC is being considered by East Riding Council at a Planning Committee later today.

HU12.net and The Hedon Blog will aim to keep local people updated on the consultation and opportunities to get involved.

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