East Yorkshire to get £35m biomass plant next year

Renewable energy firm HRS Energy is developing a UK-based multi-million pound waste wood biomass plant which will be located in an East Yorkshire village.

The site near Tansterne, located near Hull, will produce enough electricity to power 11,000 homes and is expected to open in 2017.

The 22MW facility will also have the capacity to process up to 175,000 tonnes of waste wood each year, with 100% of the biomass feedstock coming from reclaimed wood supplied from the surrounding region.

Mark Wickham, managing director of HRS Energy, which will build the plant, said the scheme could create up to 40 new jobs.

Some villagers had objected to the development, which was granted final planning permission last month, according to the BBC.

HRS Energy said preparatory building work had begun on an access road, with the construction of the plant starting in five to six months.

Wickham said the new plant would be the first one built in the UK using British technology and, unlike other power stations, would use recycled wood as its fuel.

"This project secures the future of a lot of jobs in Hull and this technology will be exported worldwide, to the US, Mexico and we have a lot of interest."

Karl Turner, MP for Hull East, said: "It is great that we have yet more investment being made in East Hull. These highly skilled manufacturing jobs are further good news for the area and build on Hull's reputation as a world leader in providing clean energy.

"This £35m (€45m) investment into the local area shows that companies have confidence that Hull is the place to do business and has the work force to deliver."