The company behind a biomass energy facility near Hull, England has gone into administration, though a successful sale of its land and equipment has safeguarded jobs and maximised returns for creditors.
GB-Bio Ltd, the owner of the Tansterne Biomass Plant, was placed into administration on 5 June 2025. Insolvency specialists Jamie Miller and David Shambrook from RSM UK Restructuring Advisory LLP were appointed as joint administrators.
The Tansterne facility is a 23-megawatt advanced biomass plant that qualifies under the UK’s Renewable Obligation Certificate (ROC) scheme.
Designed to burn waste wood, the plant also has the potential to operate as a combined heat and power (CHP) system, with future possibilities for supporting local district heating.
The company faced multiple setbacks in recent years, including the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, delays in securing ROC accreditation and the collapse of the firm originally responsible for designing the plant.
In an effort to repay investors, GB-Bio attempted a solvent sale but was ultimately unsuccessful. With limited options for raising new capital, the business entered formal insolvency proceedings.
Following their appointment, the administrators completed a deal to sell the plant’s assets, including land and the site’s National Grid connection, to an undisclosed buyer.
Jamie Miller commented: “This outcome delivers significantly better returns for creditors than a shutdown would have, and importantly, it has also protected jobs by avoiding redundancies.”
