Biomass plant gets go ahead in New Zealand

Four years after it submitted its planning application for a biomass-fired power plant, UK-based organics recycling firm Eco Sustainable Solutions has been given the go ahead.

Dorset County Council Planning Committee approved the application, which will see the £12 million (€13.7 million) facility built just outside of Christchurch. The plant will generate 3MW a year of electricity from 25,000 tonnes of wood waste, once it comes online at the beginning of 2013. The construction phase is expected to last for 18 months from when the project breaks ground later this year.

'The reaction was overwhelmingly positive,' says the company's managing director Trelawney Dampney. 'The truth is that biomass plants are green-friendly and provide clean power. It's a win-win for everyone and we're now looking forward to starting work on the plant and getting it up and running as quickly as possible.'